What do nouveau riche fear most
Nothing? No, no, because it is a rapid accumulation of wealth, this group does not attach great importance to wealth, otherwise there would not be so many nouveau riche who like to spend money.
What they fear most is that their efforts and achievements will not be recognized. The lower their status was before, the more they desire to be the center of attention and be recognized after they become rich.
Therefore, what Medea shattered was not only Atram's trump card and self-confidence, but also his entire life, his entire career as a magician, and all the efforts he made in his youth to defeat many competitors and sit on the position of head of the family. In simple terms, Medea denied Atram as a person and the entire Galliasta family.
This made Atram angry, extremely angry, and then panic, a panic based on the huge difference in strength between the two. He had used all means, prepared for so long, and spent countless money to do this, but she did it with just a wave of her hand.
This absolute gap caused his already fragile self-esteem and self-confidence to suffer unprecedented damage—more damage than when he was attacked by the students in El-Melloi's classroom, more damage than when he was ignored by Orange, and more damage than when he was treated coldly in the Clock Tower!
But the powerful witch knew nothing about this and continued speaking in a calm tone.
"Although you have gone too far, please stop using this workshop. Abusing life is a bad idea. As a magic user, I cannot ignore a workshop that is not making enough money."
Every extra word he said was a little more hurtful to Atram, and Atram became more angry, and at the same time, more panic. The gap between the two was so huge that it could not be filled no matter what means were used.
Indeed, a master-servant contract was concluded between the two, but no matter how binding the contract was, it needed to be based on strength. If the gap between the master and the servant was too large, it was hard to guarantee that the servant would not have some bad ideas.
Especially since his servant is the witch Medea, who is famous for her betrayal and cruelty. She betrayed her family twice, killed her brother, her husband's father, and her own children. Now, one more betrayal and one more killing does not seem to matter - you have to know that her Noble Phantasm as a Heroic Spirit was sublimated from this experience.
At this time, he was no longer smug about summoning Medea, but regretted it instead. Why did he insist on summoning a dragon, summoning such a difficult-to-control and terrifying witch? If she betrays me, I should - Oh, I still have the Command Seal and the power of absolute command. As long as I use this, no matter how terrifying the witch is, she will obey.
Under the dual effects of fear and anger, Atram made a decision. He smiled and quietly injected magic power into his hands.
"No, I really am the one who does not understand Servants. I hereby order you with my Command Seals not to use your Noble Phantasm against me."
When Atram heard this, Medea's surprised expression made him feel extremely pleased.
"If you are attacked by a betrayed witch, you will be in big trouble."
But he was still not satisfied, so he went up and punched Medea in the face, just like he had done to those weak people before.
Medea remained silent and was knocked to the ground without resistance, like a lifeless doll.
Yes, that's how it should be. I am the master and you are the servant. The master-servant relationship must be clear and hidden dangers must be eliminated.
Of course, he also knew that doing so would be equivalent to completely breaking off relations with his Servant. There were only two strokes left of the Command Seal of Absolute Command, which was not enough to suppress this terrifying witch. If she found any loopholes, the consequences would be disastrous. Medea was not the kind of person who would repay evil with kindness.
Not long ago, he and the canaries around him had just spread the story of Medea using witch fire to burn her rival and the city together. If it happened to him, no, he couldn't keep this woman, even if he lost a servant at the beginning. Although doing so might mean no chance of victory, compared to his own life, the latter was more important.
Atram thought about it, using the mind of a magician and the instinct of a businessman to find a way to solve the hidden dangers and gain the greatest benefits. Soon, he really came up with an idea to use his biggest competitor, another Master sent by the Clock Tower.
I was warning him, and I believe he was also warning me. If I could get rid of my biggest opponent in this way, he would definitely be happy to help, and might even be willing to pay a certain price, as long as I could show my utmost sincerity, such as by means of compulsory documentation.
Although he did not know the identity and purpose of the other participant, Atram had already thought of a way to find him - through the church. The priests there were responsible for supervising the Holy Grail War, and a magician like himself from the Clock Tower would definitely go there to register.
Come to think of it, I haven't registered after completing the summoning, so I'll do it this time.
Having made up his mind, Atram acted quickly. Because of the "farce" between him and Medea, the long night was over. Daytime was the default safe time, and Atram did not have to worry about his own safety. He went to the church alone to register and negotiate.
Although the supervisor looked like a novice and made people a little uneasy, the negotiation went smoothly and the other party also promised to deliver the message as soon as possible. Atram's mood also improved a lot.
Finally, I can get rid of this terrible woman. Now it depends on whether I can obtain other servants.
However, when he returned with satisfaction, he found that his base was gone, his loyal subordinates fell to the ground in pieces, and the workshop he was so proud of was full of flames.
The flames were bluish-white, and the woman who had set the fire was standing at the center of the workshop, looking at him quietly.
"What's going on?" Atram asked angrily.
"I took the initiative to demolish the workshop." Medea's voice was still calm. "As for the battlefield, I will take you to a more suitable place than this."
"If it's demolished, what will happen to the remaining offerings? There should be about 50 people left."
"Because I don't need them, I've let them go."
Atram made a strange hum. "So, what better place than here?"
"The center of this ritual, where the Holy Grail rests, is a natural fortress that is difficult for servants to approach." While Atram was out, Medea was not idle either. "From now on, if you can obey me well, I will take you there, Master!"
Obey? Let me obey you, my servant
"That won't do."
Atram's suppressed anger finally ignited completely. At that moment, he made a decision. He no longer fought for the greatest benefit, no longer considered other things, and first eradicated this hidden danger. He raised his right hand and injected magic power as before.
"This is the end of you and me, Medea. I command you with my Command Seals to kill yourself, Caster!"
According to his expectation, this abominable witch would end her life with her own hands in anger and unwillingness, perhaps with magic or a sharp blade. However, this scene did not happen, and Medea still stood there, showing a mocking smile.
"What's going on?" Atram said anxiously, "Is it ineffective to give the order only once? Use my Command Seals to give the order again. Commit suicide, Caster!"
The last command seal disappeared, but the ending remained the same. Medea still intended to take action, but she laughed even louder. It was the first time she laughed so heartily since being summoned, and her laughter was full of sarcasm.
"What a foolish Master! Have you forgotten what my Noble Phantasm is?"
"Ruler Breaker!"
Atram remembered the information transmitted when the contract was concluded. It was the embodiment of Medea's life, a treasure that could break all contracts, and the thing he feared the most.
"But, that should have been prohibited by the Command Spell."
"Yes, I couldn't use it on you, so I used it on myself and severed the contract with you."
Hearing this answer, Atram's face turned pale instantly.
It was not until this time that Atram discovered that there was a clear trace of blood on Medea's chest, which must be the mark left by the treasure piercing her body. The reason why he did not notice it was probably because Medea secretly used some kind of spell, and it was too easy for her to hide it from him with her ability.
"Impossible, impossible, this is a suicide act for you. You can't even save your own body!"
Atram roared hysterically, but Medea remained calm, as if she didn't care about her second life at all.
"Yeah, but so what? This has nothing to do with you dying here soon."
After saying this, the scenery in front of him suddenly changed. The burning workshop turned into a dark maze, surrounded by thick Greek-style murals - women holding bloody blades, rendering an ominous atmosphere.
Atram ran around in panic, yelling.
"How can it end like this? How can I die here? The Holy Grail War hasn't even started, there hasn't even been a battle, and I—"
He was afraid, unwilling, and angry! However, no matter what he did, he could not escape until he was exhausted and mentally exhausted.
At this time, Medea's voice finally sounded and made the final judgment.
"Yes, for someone like you who has thought about the outcome from the beginning, this is the most appropriate ending."
"You treacherous... witch."
Desperate Atram uttered a final curse, and then he found himself on fire, a blazing fire, that was the real witch's fire. This fire had turned many people into ashes, and now there was one more among them - Atram Gariastha.
"Witch... A witch again... You too, him too, everyone calls me a witch."
Medea whispered and walked. She walked through the sea of fire, through the corpses, out of the building, and into the dark sky.
She didn't know where to go, nor how long she could hold on. She just kept walking forward based on her feelings until her magic power was almost exhausted and she could no longer move and fell to the ground.
"Ahahahahaha, this is how it ended. I was arbitrarily expelled, used, and despised as a traitor. I just wanted to..."
At this time, it was a moonlit night, and she stretched out her hands towards the sky, trying to grab something.
"I just returned to my hometown."
My consciousness gradually became dim. This body without a support seemed to have reached its limit and should disappear. I was unwilling to leave this world after just one night.
Just before she closed her eyes, she heard a faint sigh.
PS: I finally completed the story of Atram and Medea in two chapters. This is a story that was not included in the FSN game, but was completed by the UBW animation. I also combined it with "The Second Generation Case Files" to shape it from the perspective of Atram, which can be regarded as completing it again.
PS2: If it is FSN, it means that the people's teacher picked up C mother, took her back to replenish magic and conquer C mother's heart. Here, of course it would not be the people's teacher.