CH 27

[The Wisdom of Mortals D - We are not the chosen ones, but we are the masters of our own fate. Praise those who are good to us, and destroy those who are against us.]

What the hell? How did an inherent skill suddenly appear?

Shirou couldn't help but be surprised as he examined his attribute panel, a feature brought about by the Holy Grail. It analyzed his body's condition and formed data that could be easily understood by the brain. 

However, he remembered that when he first fused with the Saint Graph, all of his inherent skills were inherited from Emiya. Now, there was an inexplicable additional skill. 

"Could this be a cheat?" Shirou wondered to himself.

Spartacus' attack had nearly incapacitated his left arm, reminding him of the harsh reality that Transmigrants, like himself, were not special, they were simply surviving in a different place.

However, the appearance of this new skill couldn't help but spark fantastical thoughts in Shirou's mind. He thought of the online transmigration novels he had read before, where the protagonist starts off with cheats, becomes a bully and the female lead falls in love with him even after he kills her whole family. He remembered how exciting he found these novels in middle school, but later realized how toxic they were.

But the thought of it 'might' be happening to him, filled him with excitement. However, this "Wisdom of Mortals" skill was just a D-rank and did not seem to be very impressive.

The most pressing question now was, what practical use does this skill have?

Shirou was perplexed, he didn't possess Gilgamesh's powerful skills, [Clairvoyance] and [Sha Naqba Imuru], nor did he have Merlin's vast knowledge, so he was unable to understand the purpose of this skill. 

But it didn't matter, he still had a dependable teacher by his side.

With that, Shirou quickly lay down on his bed and prepared to reach out to Scathach-nee. She was truly a great teacher, always available no matter the time of day or night. Whenever he fell asleep, she would appear in his dream on time, just like a high school homeroom teacher.

...

"Hold on, hold on, Shisho!" Shirou called out as Scathach once again raised her spears, ready to pierce his body.

"No waiting, let me poke a few holes first." Although she said something so willful, Scathach's intention was only to scare Shirou, and she was still quite gentle. She lowered her weapon and adopted a listening posture, ready to hear her student's question.

Shirou, now at ease, shared his doubts with Scathach.

"Isn't it obvious?" Scathach leaned forward, her small face bearing a smile as she looked at Shirou.

"What do you mean?" Shirou replied with a look of confusion.

"The Holy Grail uses magic to gather data on the servant, and presents it in a format that your brain can comprehend. You should be able to understand the specifics of this skill," Scathach explained.

"But I still don't understand it! It just says 'wisdom of mortals.' How am I supposed to understand it? Is it just mocking me as a mortal? That can't be right. Can you, my dear Shisho, explain its purpose to me? Is it for amplifying strength, enhancing strategy? Or like your 'Wisdom of Dun Scaith,' does it allow for mastery of nearly all skills?" Shirou asked eagerly.

Scathach let out a chuckle before shifting the conversation. "Shirou, do you know who makes up the largest population in the world?"

"Obviously, it's normal people," Shirou replied without hesitation.

"And what about the role of normal people on the stage of heroes?"

Scathach continued, not giving Shirou a chance to respond. "It's to be saved by heroes, to be killed by heroes, and to be led by heroes. In history and biographies, we hardly find any mention of normal people, they are referred to only in general terms like 'villagers', 'soldiers', or 'farmers'. The wisdom of mortals is just that - mortal wisdom. So what kind of blessings do you think it holds?" Scathach said, musing on the topic.

"So, it's actually useless? Just a cruel irony that I, a mortal, have stumbled upon the stage of heroes? Oh, I can feel the deep malice from the Holy Grail!" Shirou exclaimed, sounding defeated.

"Also, how did this happen? I don't recall having this inherent skill before," Shirou queried, seeking answers.

"Who knows?"

"You don't know, Shisho?" Shirou said, looking surprised.

"I am not omniscient," Scathach replied with a gentle smile.

"Well, I should have expected this. I'll just have to accept it. I'm going back now," Shirou said, taking a deep breath and trying to steady his mind.

"Leaving so soon? Have you forgotten something, my weakest disciple?" Scathach said, narrowing her eyes and raising the spear in her hand.

"Please, have mercy. I still need to prepare for the upcoming Holy Grail War," Shirou quickly begged, gesturing with his hand.

If it had been any other Heroic Spirit, they would have ignored Shirou's plea, but Scathach was known to be gentle. She nodded and said, "Alright, but with this truancy, the next lesson will be doubled next time."

"I understand, I understand," Shirou said, flustered as he quickly escaped through the door of the dream.

"What an irritable disciple. If he had waited any longer, I might have let slip some information," Scathach chuckled.

"The wisdom of mortals, the wisdom of humanity. Heroes and great people may lead mortals, but it's always mortals who make history. It is truly mortals who can make heroes shine, and it's also mortals who can bury heroes in history forever." Scathach laughed gently, she almost slipped up just now, but managed to hold back in time.

She has already graduated from this world, it's better for her to keep her mouth shut around students who are still studying in this world. Otherwise, if she directly gave the answers, it would be too disrespectful for those students who are still in the process of learning and would deprive them of the opportunity to think and grow.

In fact, after giving Shirou a reminder last time, Scathach has deeply reflected on herself and realized that this way she deprived Shirou of the opportunity to think and grow on his own.

But-

"Despite everything, I still feel compelled to remind my foolish disciple," Scathach said with a laugh. However, her expression then became one of confusion and concern. "But why does Shirou possess something like this? I thought his Saint Graph did not have this kind of thing. Could it be because of his unique body that it has undergone a change?"

Even Scathach, who possesses the wisdom of Dun Scaith, occasionally encounters things she cannot understand. But she found it acceptable. It means her foolish disciple is carving his own path. The woman known as Shisho by her disciple showed a slight smile of satisfaction.

Awakened from the dream, Shirou stretched his body and checked the time, it was 3:27 in the afternoon. This was good, it was not yet nightfall, so he could confidently make some preparations.

As he walked down the street, Shirou noticed that despite it being October, the weather had already become quite cold. But he realized that the indifference between people was even colder than the weather, like a cold wind blowing in from Siberia. But, even so, there were still many kind-hearted citizens in the city.

As he walked not far from the park, Shirou saw a man in a black coat climb to the top of a large tree, pluck a red balloon, and then give it to a little girl who was waiting expectantly by the tree.

"Thank you, Uncle," the little girl said, taking the balloon and showing a bright smile.

"You're welcome," the man in the black coat replied, avoiding physical contact with the little girl, perhaps because he feared that his own impurities would tarnish the child's purity. 

He was a kind and warm-hearted uncle. But when Shirou saw the man in the black coat, he shuddered as if he had been electrified, his expression stiffening.

He was certain of it, there was no mistake. The man who had committed atrocities in the name of righteousness. Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who firmly believed in his own righteousness but ultimately was betrayed by it.

Shirou lowered his head, his face laced with anger as walked away. He knew that Kiritsugu's presence in Fuyuki City meant that the Holy Grail War was getting closer, and he feared that it would begin tonight. He had to hurry. Shirou returned to his home and from under the bed in his room, he retrieved the Ultraman outfit. 

Shirou had obtained this Ultraman suit by taking a large sum of money from Fujimaru Chiyo's pouch without her permission. Taking money without permission is considered as a bad behavior, similar to stealing.

But for the sake of survival, he can't let these things weigh on his mind anymore. Besides, though his body may be young, his soul is mature and adult, and taking money cannot be considered as stealing, it's just borrowing.

After obtaining the suit, Shirou put on the blue contact lenses and went to a hair salon where he used "suggestion" to get black hair for free. He then returned to his base, put on the elevator shoes and the Ultraman suit. 

Looking at himself in the mirror, Shirou laughed bitterly. He knew that if everything went according to plan, he would have to wear this suit around for at least seven days in order to avoid exposing his true identity.

The Fate/Stay Night clearly states that a Holy Grail War lasts for seven nights. However, in reality, the duration of the war may vary depending on the situation.

He donned his trusty black cloak, enveloping his entire body. 

With a bitter smile, he acknowledged that his preparation time before the war was far too brief. Being a novice magus and still just a child, he had no connections and no one to provide him with information. He could only rely on himself.

Given his limited abilities, he knew that his options were limited. He thought to himself, "Perhaps I should go to the Ryuudou Temple and pray to Buddha? I've heard that the temple is home to a person adept at fooling people, maybe he could say something that would help me feel more at ease?"

Shirou considered the idea, but ultimately rejected it with a bitter smile. Not only was he an atheist, but he had never burned incense or worshiped Buddha before. Even if there were deities or Buddha in this world, it was unlikely that they would pay attention to an ordinary person like himself, who only sought their help when in need.

Furthermore, the presence of the Greater Grail beneath the Ryuudou Temple made it an unwise choice for him to go there.

So, what his future holds is uncertain. Whether he will live or die, whether he will survive, it all depends on how he adapts to the situation in the war!

Despite the overwhelming odds of defeat that weighed heavily on him, the advice given to him by Scathach had given Shirou, an ordinary modern person, a chance to emerge victorious. He was determined to use all of his wisdom as an ordinary person to seize that chance to survive. 

However...

"I really don't want to have to work hard, I want to win without putting in effort, Scathach-nee..."

He let out a sigh and felt disheartened. But what could he do? Scathach simply smiled and refused his request.

Being lazy was also one of the worst qualities an ordinary person could possess.
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