Hamburg. Three days before the meeting between the Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X and Alessandro Serpi.
In the church of San Michele (Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis) two men in plain clothes, one elderly in the seventies and one a little younger in his forties, met. After they shook hands they sat on the wooden benches. The first, the elderly one, murmured:
« Wie geht es dir heute? We haven't met for a while, Clovis. »
« I'm fine, Herbert. Tell me about you, rather. Are you enjoying your retirement? »
« Enough. I am my age and my body is a little capricious. Why did you want to meet me? »
The two men were Clovis Wolff and Herbert Schmidt. Two magi from the Rote Mäntel organization. Clovis, scratching his blond beard, replied to his friend:
« The Holy Grail has been discovered. »« So in the end you did it. »
« Yes, we succeeded. »
« What are you going to do then? Do you really want to start a war for the Grail? Have you learned nothing from history? »
« What is there to learn? In this world there are incapable magi and talented magi, we are the latter and we can calmly manage the power of the Holy Grail. This war will not be like the others. »
« What do you mean? » He asked concerned.
« I mean that this war will be the greatest war for the Holy Grail ever seen. »
« No, it will be just another senseless massacre. »
« You can't know. »
« On the contrary I know. » Herbert said, annoyed.
« I never expected such a reaction from you. »
Herbert snorted and got up from the bench, heading to the exit without a word to Clovis.
Clovis joined Herbert outside the church and, shocked, asked him:
« Why are you angry? What's your problem? »« You have a problem, Clovis. »
« No, you have a problem with me, Herbert. You are the one who left without saying a word, without even complimenting me for having obtained the chance to find the Holy Grail. You always wanted it yourself! » Exclaimed Clovis.
« Things change. »
« So much? Did you really go from considering me your greatest disciple to ignoring me completely just because you disagree with me? »
« You have a family, bei Gott! You have a family waiting for you at home! You have a wife and two children! What the hell drives you to fight a war and to be proud of it ?! » Scolded Herbert.
Clovis, surprised by his friend's reaction, did not immediately respond. He put his hands in his pockets and walked past Herbert, then, in a darker voice, said to him:
« I have two children now, but if I do nothing I will have only one. My daughter, Freda, is ill. She has tuberculosis. There is not much time left and the Holy Grail can save her. The Holy Grail can heal her. »
« Clovis, I'm sorry, I didn't know … »« Don't pity me, Herbert. I know you didn't know. I will personally participate in the war and get the Holy Grail. Whether you want it or not. I just wanted you to be happy for me, but apparently it's too much to ask. »
« And if you were to fail? » Asked Herbert, distressed, then added: « If you were to fail what would happen to your family? Do you really want to risk your life, do you really want to risk leaving your wife alone forever? Does your life have no value for you? »
« I can't stay still, Herbert. I simply can't. »
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