From the elderly priest's attitude, it was clear that he wanted to get a better deal.
Su Xiao wasn't sure if he would have another chance to come here, and even if he did, earning merits from the Church of Oranyan wouldn't be easy.
"Father, you want to obtain the Holy Grail, right?"
"The Holy Grail?!"
The smile on the elderly priest's face gradually faded, and he unconsciously looked at the back of Su Xiao's hand.
"Indeed, you are related to the Holy Grail War. I didn't notice any Command Spells on you when I first met you. Could it be that you are..."
Thinking of a possibility, the elderly priest's heart skipped a beat.
"You don't think I'm a Heroic Spirit, do you?"
Su Xiao leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs casually.
"Heh."
The elderly priest chuckled softly. He had seen many Heroic Spirits before, and their speech and behavior were noticeably different from modern people. Moreover, Heroic Spirits were constructed of energy, and the elderly priest had a way to identify them.
"You're neither a Master nor a Heroic Spirit, so are you planning to participate in the Holy Grail War?"
The elderly priest's gaze grew somewhat fervent. Su Xiao had managed to raze Ryuudou Temple, which showed extraordinary capabilities. If he joined the elderly priest's camp, he would be a formidable ally.
"Who knows, but you might need my help in the future."
Su Xiao looked at the elderly priest with a smile. When communicating with non-hostile plot characters, he usually wore a smile to conceal other emotions.
"I'll think about it..."
The elderly priest hesitated, and after a while, he nodded.
"Consider it a 5% discount for you. Wait here for a moment."
The elderly priest left the church, presumably going to a secret room in the underground part of the church. After a while, he returned with three items in his hand.
"This is Soul Crystal (Large), Holy Water, and the Ghost Hunter."
The three items were placed in front of Su Xiao. He immediately pocketed the Soul Crystal (Large) and the Holy Water. As for the Ghost Hunter, it was a finely crafted crossbow, entirely made of metal, in all black, with a somewhat retro appearance.
Su Xiao was about to draw the crossbow string, but the elderly priest handed him a small winch.
"With this thing, it's impossible to draw the crossbow string with human strength... Are you kidding me?!"
The elderly priest's eyes widened.
Creak~
Su Xiao pulled the crossbow string, and the attack power of this crossbow was comparable to that of the Spider Queen, indicating its formidable strength.
After stringing the Ghost Hunter barehanded, Su Xiao's mana slowly decreased as an energy crossbow bolt gradually formed in the weapon.
"What did you say just now?"
Su Xiao was focused on examining the Ghost Hunter and didn't catch the elderly priest's words.
The elderly priest looked at the small winch in his hand and shook his head.
"It's nothing. Where were we?"
"The Holy Grail."
Su Xiao raised the Ghost Hunter, whose accurate range was within 150 meters. Beyond that, it wouldn't hit the target. However, for a crossbow-type weapon like this, 150 meters was already supernatural.
"Yes, the Holy Grail. Are you interested in helping me obtain the Holy Grail? I can offer you..."
The elderly priest seemed somewhat hopeful.
"No."
Su Xiao put away the Ghost Hunter. It was a powerful weapon, silent and suitable for mid-range assassinations.
"You're so resolute in your refusal. Have you considered my feelings? I just gave you a 5% discount."
The elderly priest seemed displeased.
"I'm considering your feelings, which is why I'm refusing."
Su Xiao's words clearly left the elderly priest somewhat speechless. His face began to look unpleasant.
"Father, with your physical condition, you can easily live to 80 or 90 years. Why rush to meet your end?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... to pursue the Holy Grail, even though you've seen it before. You should understand the principles behind it. The first two Greater Grails were indeed priceless treasures, as for the third one, I don't need to say it, and now it's already the fourth Greater Grail. Can you imagine how much malice is concentrated within it? Are you so eager to die?"
Su Xiao stared at the elderly priest, and there was only a core left in his hand, the rest of the apple having been eaten.
"You... I can understand your point of view. To be honest, even without your reminder, I am well aware of the risks. But who would willingly give up on pursuing the Holy Grail? Not only do I know this, but the Tohsaka family, the Matou family, and the Einzbern family all know it too. It's a universal wish-granting machine. Even if it's tainted, so what? Just give up like that?"
The elderly priest sighed, and he reached for a cigarette.
"Give me a cigarette."
Su Xiao handed him a cigarette.
"Although I still don't know your name, I trust you more than some other collaborators. At least you don't have any hostility towards me."
The elderly priest exhaled a puff of smoke, and with Su Xiao's lead, he relapsed into smoking, possibly due to recent frustrating events.
With the interference of the Paradise of Reincarnation, Su Xiao's relationship with the elderly priest wouldn't become hostile. That's why the elderly priest trusted Su Xiao more after he successfully razed Ryuudou Temple.
"Don't you feel unwilling if you don't see it with your own eyes? I get it, the allure of the Greater Grail is irresistible."
Su Xiao remained silent, as he had other motives for staying at the church.
"By the way, Father."
"Yes?"
After their conversation, the two had become somewhat more familiar.
"Can you contact the Einzbern family?"
"This... it's classified."
The elderly priest dodged the question, feeling that something wasn't right.
"If you can contact them, I plan to get in touch with the Einzbern family. Don't worry, I won't join forces with them to go after you. If we successfully establish contact, I will take measures to prevent them from causing trouble for you."
"I'll think about it..."
"There's no time to think about this. I'm in a hurry."
Su Xiao needed to speed up his actions as Umbrellaless Brother could strike at any moment.
"So, can I understand that you can help me restrain the Einzbern family?"
"Yes, but there's one condition. You can't join forces with them to target my camp. Although I don't know how you found out about my situation, my pursuit of the Holy Grail must not be leaked."
The elderly priest produced a piece of white parchment and wrote and drew on it before handing it to Su Xiao. This was a 'Self-Enforcement Contract,' something akin to an oath.
The elderly priest was quite cunning and had prepared this in advance.
After glancing at the contents of the 'Self-Enforcement Contract,' Su Xiao signed it. What the elderly priest didn't know was that this 'Self-Enforcement Contract' had limitations; it only applied to beings with mana in their bodies or to native residents of the Holy Grail world.
Su Xiao was neither a native nor had a trace of mana, so signing it was no different from scribbling on a piece of toilet paper.
