This Is My Holy Grail War [160]

Sitting in the old brick house, Saber found herself slipping into a brief dream—not her own, but her Master's.

The connection between Master and Servant was not one-sided. Just as a Master could glimpse a Servant’s past through shared dreams, a Servant, too, could perceive their Master’s memories, experiencing them like fleeting visions.

Saber dreamed of a world of absolute darkness.

No, this was worse than darkness—far worse.

It was deep, boundless, an abyss that seemed to devour all things—including the very concept of "black."

How could she describe it?

It felt like… what one saw when closing just one eye—the emptiness behind the lid.

For the first time, she wondered—how had William endured this his entire life?

He had never known light.

The conveniences of modern society, the things most took for granted, were forever out of reach. He had spent his life waiting—waiting in the cold void, listening to the laughter of those who could see.

The inability to see was crippling, yet it was not an absolute death sentence. William had not let the weight of life crush him—his other senses had sharpened instead.

Because of this, in his dream, Saber heard everything.

She felt the solidity of the ground beneath her feet. She could tell he was moving forward, feeling along the walls as he walked.

This oppressive feeling—to grope through a world without sight—it was suffocating.

And yet, William had lived with it. He had struggled, but he had survived.

All living beings fight desperately to exist from the moment they are born.

The dream did not end there.

Saber felt William enter a room.

Then—

A voice rang out, filled with warmth and authority.

"Happy birthday, William!"

So that was what this dream was.

His birthday.

But why had this moment been burned so deeply into his memory? What made it so significant?

Saber didn’t fully understand.

She only knew that William’s father had given him a book as a gift.

She felt his fingers brushing over the gilded lettering, tracing the embossed words.

The texture of the letters—Saber could almost read them—but before she could make sense of the title—

The dream shattered.

Saber's eyes snapped open.

The explosion of color that met her gaze felt almost shocking.

It had been so long since she had been surprised by something as simple as light.

She exhaled slowly, pushing herself upright. The aged wooden door creaked as she opened it.

"Are you ready?" she asked, stepping into William’s room. "It’s time to leave."

"Where are we going?" William asked.

"North. Across the river, there’s a leyline we can use."

"...So we’re moving?"

"Yes. For your safety."

William wasn’t much of a mana source—not for a Servant like her. He functioned more like a relay, a mere conduit linking Saber to the Greater Grail.

He couldn’t provide a powerful supply of magical energy—but that didn’t matter.

Saber was a mage of the Age of Gods. She could extract mana through other means.

That was all she needed.

"Your father gave you a book, didn’t he?" Saber asked.

William tilted his head. "...How do you know that?"

"Our contract allows me to see your dreams."

"...I see."

There was a slight pause before he answered, "Yes. He left me a book. But… I can’t read it."

"Do you even know how to read?" Saber asked, genuinely curious. A blind man—how would he recognize words?

He shook his head. Then, after a moment, he spoke with quiet determination.

"I can learn."

As they traveled north, Saber observed the city.

It was thriving, bustling with life.

For a brief moment, she considered dismissing her Noble Phantasm and slipping into spirit form to move unseen.

But once they reached the streets, she changed her mind.

This wasn’t Japan.

This was Russia.

Blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls were everywhere.

All she had to do was don a winter coat, dismiss the magical armor that shrouded her form—and she would blend right in.

Even though dawn was approaching, the streets remained lively.

Pedestrians passed by in droves, cars sped down the roads, the city showed no signs of rest.

As they walked, Saber caught the scent of food.

At the same time, William’s nose twitched slightly.

"...Master," Saber spoke up, her ahoge twitching in anticipation.

"I’m hungry."

She turned to face him, eyes sparkling with expectation.

"Can we eat first?"

And as if she was worried about finances, she quickly added—

"If we don’t have enough money, I can cover it."

To a magus—especially a mage of the Age of Gods—money was a trivial thing. If she wanted, she could simply speak a few words and make the problem disappear.

But William didn’t seem to grasp this.

"It’s fine. I’ll handle it."

"Then I’ll be counting on you," Saber said cheerfully.

She hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Though… my appetite is a bit big."

She felt bad.

He was already low on resources.

And now she was making him spend money on her?

But William simply nodded.

"That’s fine."

By then, the first light of dawn had begun to creep over the horizon.

Saber moved swiftly, leading William to a seat near the warmest spot in the room—the corner by the wall where the heating pipes ran.

She placed their order.

Bread, ham, egg pancakes. A large bowl of buckwheat porridge.

Her ahoge twitched happily.

As the server set down the golden, buttered bread, Saber’s eyes lit up.

She was ready.

She was starving.

And food wasn’t just nourishment.

For her, it was another source of mana.

Just as she was about to take her first bite—

William suddenly stood up.

Abruptly.

Startlingly.

His reaction was so sharp, so sudden that even Saber was momentarily taken aback.

He stood there for a long moment—then spoke in a dazed voice.

"I think… I think I can see."

He reached out, blindly grasping at the air—

Only to catch nothing.

A miscalculation.

He had not regained his sight.

He was seeing through her.

Not his own eyes—but the vision of his Servant.

For the first time in his life, he could see light.

But his mind—never having processed visual information before—couldn’t fully comprehend it.

He could only perceive a vague, blurry impression of the world.

And yet, for William Kuhn—

This was the first light of hope.

The faint, scattered colors filled him with a joy beyond words.

His voice trembled with emotion.

"The Holy Grail… It can really grant any wish, right?"

Excitement burned in his chest.

For a brief moment, it was as if God Himself had parted the darkness—offering him a glimpse of light.

Saber paused, then nodded.

"Yes."

"The Holy Grail is an omnipotent wish-granting device."

The process to reach it would not be easy.

But for a mage of the Age of Gods—

Unlimited mana was already the same as omnipotence.

---

T/N: tell that to Medea... GAE BOLG!!

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!