Anchor, Stop Pretending, You're in Chaldea - Chapter 49

“Huh?!”

Elisabeth, who was originally in control, suddenly blushed.

“What, what, what are you saying to someone you just met?!”

“It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s, Senpai!!!”

Mashu, seemingly influenced by Elisabeth, looked shocked and didn’t seem well.

The live stream chat exploded as well.

“Oh, oh, oh, isn’t this the Dragon Girl from CCC? Why is she blushing like that?”

“Such audacity! A streamer who says such things to a girl he just met is trash!”

“Oh? Didn’t expect the streamer to have social awkwardness.”

“Saying such things within three seconds of meeting, it has a bit of a domineering CEO vibe.”

“Can this show pass the censorship if you film it like this?”

“Mashu: It was a mistake after all.”

“Streamer, please calm down. If you continue like this, the show won’t be able to continue.”

The viewers expressed their opinions, but they were mostly condemning Bai Qiu.

Glancing at the barrage, Bai Qiu was still confused about what he said exactly.

But he didn’t think too much about it and instead took a step further towards the blushing Dragon Girl.

“Huh? Why are you suddenly like this… I don’t know what to do… You seem to meet my standards… No, what am I saying…”

Elisabeth couldn’t look at Bai Qiu in the eyes and struggled to find her words.

“I think we should take it step by step to build our relationship… like starting as friends… Oh, how about you become my manager!”

Like finding a lifeline, Elisabeth blushed and hugged her arms.

“Well, it’s better to start as a manager. That way, we’ll have enough time to get to know each other. ”

Huh?

What is this guy saying?

Bai Qiu combined the comments in the chat and thought for a moment.

It seems that his choice of words earlier was inappropriate.

“Cough, what I mean is, I need your information. After all, you’re going to deal with the Dragon Witch, right? This way, our frontlines will be unified.”

Bai Qiu explained again.

“…Huh, I see.”

Mashu, who was behind them, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her expression instantly relaxed.

“——————?!”

Elisabeth’s expression froze on her face.

“…I, I meant the same thing just now, haha… Ahahaha…”

Although she was smiling, Elisabeth’s expression looked like she was about to cry.

“Our role model!!!”

“I was wrong to suspect the streamer earlier. The streamer is truly our good comrade!”

“Oh no, the blade can’t be retracted now. Someone, change the streamer into enemy clothes, a grand funeral!”

“Thank goodness the streamer turned back in time, otherwise the battlefield might have turned into a bloodbath.”

————

“How did you end up here?”

Bai Qiu asked curiously, as it was indeed strange for the Dragon Girl to appear here alone.

“Right! Hurry up and save her!!!”

Suddenly, Elisabeth thought of something and immediately started pleading for help from Bai Qiu.

“If we’re too late, it might be too late!”

“No, can you please explain more clearly?”

Although Elisabeth’s expression was anxious, Bai Qiu still hadn’t gathered any information on his side.

“She rescued me from the prison, but then she was attacked by a stalker. In the end, I was the only one who managed to escape. I have to go back and save her!”

Elisabeth fell into painful memories.

“Who is she?”

“She said her name is Kiyohime. Please, come with me and help rescue her!”

“Kiyohime?!”

Indeed, the Servants summoned by the Counter Force were all targeted by Jeanne Alter. Most likely, even Jeanne, who hasn’t appeared yet, has also encountered some misfortune.

“Don’t worry.”

Bai Qiu immediately reassured her.

“We were just about to go after those guys too, and we happen to need a guide. If possible, please lead the way for us.”

———————-

“This is it!!!”

With Elisabeth leading the way, it didn’t take long for the group to see the towering fortress not far away.

The fortress was situated on an open plain, surrounded by a not-so-shallow moat.

The sky was filled with patrolling Wyverns, and even someone like Bai Qiu, an ordinary person, could feel the immense Magical Energy fluctuations coming from ahead.

“Oh! Since we’ve found their headquarters, let’s launch an assault!!”

Mordred exclaimed excitedly, hoisting Clarent onto their shoulder and gradually manifesting armor on their body.

“Wait a moment!”

Johanna stopped Mordred and then looked down at the ground, striking it heavily with her silver cross-shaped staff.

Immediately, a silver magic circle appeared on the ground.

Johanna frowned and then said to Bai Qiu, “It seems that this place has been turned into the enemy’s Magecraft stronghold. It’s continuously extracting Magical Energy from the ley lines. There’s a Servant in the enemy camp who is as skilled in creating Magecraft workshops as I am.”

The image of a kind-faced Caster with big eyes appeared in Bai Qiu’s mind.

Indeed, Gilles de Rais, as a Magus, may have average talent, but with the blessing of the Holy Grail, the Magecraft stronghold he created would likely be as terrifying as the legends surrounding him.

“Fighting in the enemy’s Magecraft stronghold would not only mean facing various familiars but also encountering situations where Magical Energy is difficult to replenish. If possible, it would be better to fight outside,” Emiya Kiritsugu expressed his opinion.

“Or perhaps let me infiltrate first to investigate. Ideally, I would be able to successfully deal with the one who set up this stronghold, and then you can break through,” he suggested.

“No,” Bai Qiu interrupted Emiya Kiritsugu.

“The enemy still has the Holy Grail, and this method probably won’t work.”

After all, it’s Gilles de Rais. He’s most likely surrounded by all sorts of familiars.

Once Kiritsugu enters his domain alone, not only is it highly likely that he won’t be able to deal with the enemy smoothly, but it will also be extremely difficult for him to come out unscathed.

After Bai Qiu decisively rejected Kiritsugu’s proposal, he quickly came up with a new plan.

“Then, how about forcing them to come out?”

“…What do you mean?”

“As long as we use a Noble Phantasm with high output power to attack the fortress from outside the stronghold, the enemy won’t just sit back and wait. They will have to come out and fight us. After that, we can split into two groups, one to rescue the person and seize the Holy Grail.”

Emiya Kiritsugu’s plan was logical and well-reasoned, much more reasonable than the previous plan of him infiltrating alone.

The only thing is that this Noble Phantasm not only needs to have high output but also needs to be able to launch attacks from outside the stronghold.

Isn’t that…?

After hearing Emiya Kiritsugu’s words, everyone turned their gaze to Mordred, who was contemplating how to launch the assault.

“Hmm? Why are you all suddenly looking at me?”