As it turned out, Merlin didn't pull any pranks while Ludwig was showering, which came as a surprise to him but also slightly increased his level of trust in her.
Afterward, he accompanied her out of the hotel to wander through the commercial district of Shinto, where they bought several sets of well-fitting new clothes. In terms of texture, the clothing of this era felt somewhat different compared to the garments of his own time.
"Not used to wearing them? Or do you prefer clothes suited for combat?" Merlin asked.
"No, I just find the craftsmanship a bit different," Ludwig said, adjusting his sleeves. "In my era, the things used for daily life—food, clothing, shelter, and transport—are all produced in factories. Except for a few extremely specialized precision products, manual labor has been almost entirely abandoned, from raw materials to the finished product."
For instance, there was 3D printing technology, which in his eyes had become overly advanced. Everything from tableware to fighter jets could be printed directly. This advanced technology stood in stark contrast to the dying planet. Of course, without such sophisticated science, humans and A-rays wouldn't have been able to survive in such an environment.
"I see," Merlin said understandingly.
Ludwig reached out to take the bags of clothes she had bought for him, but Merlin simply smiled and shook her head. Her smile, for once, held a hint of genuine gentleness.
Is she really treating herself as a big sister and me as a younger brother who needs looking after?
"No need. I'll carry these. If you run into a battle, it wouldn't be convenient to be holding them, would it?" she said.
"But according to you, don't the participants of the Holy Grail War only fight at night? After all, they have to follow the rules of concealing the 'Mystery,' or the Mages' Association and the Holy Church will intervene, right?" he asked after they sat down in a cafe.
"Rules are just rules; no one actually follows them," Merlin replied. "Take right now, for example. The Master and Servant of the Caster camp are completely ignoring the Holy Grail War and are on a killing spree in the city. Especially that Master—he's a serial killer who has been behind the recent string of murders in this town."
"Oh?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow.
"The Holy Church, acting as the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, has issued a subjugation quest. If a Master from another camp eliminates Caster's faction and prevents more victims, they will be rewarded with additional Command Spells," Merlin continued.
"Where does the Church get extra Command Spells?"
"Not every Master uses all their Command Spells during the war. Masters who were eliminated in the previous three wars without using them all had their spells recovered and stored by the Church. After all, a Command Spell itself is an excellent source of disposable magical energy." Merlin stirred her milk-laden coffee.
"How excellent?" Ludwig asked, sounding interested.
"Let's use an example. If I were your Servant, then even if we were acting separately, you could use a Command Spell to instantly teleport me to your side to handle an emergency." Merlin's fork pierced a piece of cake, which she held up to the young man's lips. "But if I were your Servant, I wouldn't recommend using them that way. After all... I'm best at retreating."
"...So, spatial transference isn't difficult for you. Got it." Ludwig hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to eat the cake Merlin offered. "Are you so well-informed about all this because of your Clairvoyance?"
"Does it bother you?" Merlin laughed.
"Well, that Gilgamesh guy did say he showed up there because someone was watching with Clairvoyance," Ludwig explained his reasoning.
"Normally, my Clairvoyance is actually switched off most of the time," Merlin said. "I only enabled it temporarily this time for certain conveniences. I didn't expect it to draw unnecessary attention anyway."
"I see..." Ludwig took a sip of his coffee and gestured for her to continue.
"However, there are many types of Clairvoyance. The one I possess belongs to the highest tier—one that can perceive everything in the 'present.'" Merlin looked a bit proud as she said this.
She certainly had the credentials to be proud.
"Besides you, who else has eyes like that?"
"Hmm... Actually, that Gilgamesh has them too," Merlin said. "His Clairvoyance allows him to see through the 'future.' Aside from him... there's the famous King of Magic, Solomon. That man's eyes could see through both the 'past' and the 'future' simultaneously."
Merlin then gave a further explanation, saying that as for the Clairvoyance other Servants might possess, most were simply types that granted the user exceptional eyesight, usually held by those of the Archer class. Some Servants had Clairvoyance that wasn't quite top-tier but was close, granting them a degree of precognition, and so on.
Essentially, Merlin answered every question Ludwig asked without reservation.
"If Gilgamesh has Clairvoyance, doesn't he know everything I'm going to do next?"
After leaving the cafe, Ludwig looked up at the twilight sky, feeling a bit sentimental about how fast time had passed. Then, remembering something, he quickly asked Merlin.
Merlin remained relaxed. "Don't worry, don't worry. That King of Heroes keeps his Clairvoyance closed as well, unless a worthy opponent appears in the Holy Grail War that makes him want to get serious."
"Well, that makes things easier." Ludwig looked thoughtful. "By the way, is Gilgamesh always this careless?"
"Well, the King of Heroes in his prime has that kind of personality. For someone like you who wants to seize the Holy Grail, it's actually quite advantageous, right?"
"I won't deny that," Ludwig nodded.
"So then, the sun is about to set. Shall we head back to the hotel to rest, or—" Merlin asked.
"Well, although I want to start tracking the Saber camp immediately, it's necessary to make contact with the Berserker camp first," he said. "In last night's battle, Berserker suddenly appeared, and his style against Archer was completely different from his style against Saber."
Against Archer, he seemed to be following orders; against Saber, however, he had completely lost control. If Berserker's rampage wasn't the Master's intent, it would be a very useful point to exploit.
"In that case, now is a good opportunity," Merlin said, giving a subtle nod.
Ludwig followed her gaze. A man wearing a hood was standing between the buildings across the street, positioned in the shadows of a narrow alleyway only wide enough for one person. The man seemed to have difficulty moving, his right hand gripping his left arm, where the Command Spells on the back of his hand were faintly glowing.
And this man was currently staring directly at him, paying no attention to Merlin by his side.
"Whether it's Berserker's Master or someone else, if they show up before me without their Servant, let's make contact."
Ludwig kept his hands in his pockets, speaking calmly to Merlin.
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