After hearing about the large-scale battle in the Einzbern Forest, it was obvious that the Holy Grail War was beginning to enter its final phase. Though it wasn't impossible for other Masters to have been involved, it was more than likely that the conflict had been between the Einzbern and Matou family. Any solo Masters remaining in the War were far more likely to target the Tohsaka or Matou family residences than they were to seek trouble with the Einzbers, especially at this stage. Since Paracelsus and his Master were still in hiding, the likely culprits were either Sakura or the unnamed Master-Servant pairings of the final Caster and Archer-Class Servants. Setting fire to the forest would indicate that a Caster had been involved but it was impossible to be sure with what they knew thus far...
With the discussion quickly reaching a dead end, the only thing that could reasonably be discussed were potential countermeasures against the shadow that had attacked Gray. Since he had been the one to break down the function of the malignancy, Vahn took the lead in the conversation by explaining, "Though I cannot say for absolutely certain that my conjecture is correct, it shouldn't be that far removed from the truth. The shadows that Gray described seem to be a type of curse that has the properties of 'reversing' the inherent properties of mana. This simple change is enough to interfere with the structure of constituent particles at the subatomic level. When these bonds break down, the majority of the energy contained within the atoms bleeds back into the void while a small fraction of the converted mana is used to propagate the cycle anew."
Though others might have some difficulty prehending what Vahn was talking about, Lord El-Melloi II had one of the strongest foundations in conceptual and theoretical Magecraft amongst the Clock Tower's Lecturers. Immediately following Vahn's explanation, he asked, "Were you able to infer that it was a curse do to its 'self-preservation' ponent? Also, if it truly affects matter at the sub-atomic level, why does it only target organic material...?" To this, Vahn shook his head before adding, "It doesn't just target inorganic materials. If that were the case, Gray's Mystic Codex wouldn't have been damaged so severely. I would argue that there is a lingering intent contained within the curse that makes it specifically target anything that the 'shadow' had wanted to destroy. As for why it affects others by proximity, this is most likely a means to discourage outside interference to ensure that the target is ultimately devoured by the curse..."
Hearing Vahn mention Add, Gray's mood immediately reached rock bottom, drawing a lot of attention to herself as she forlornly asked, "Is there anything that can be done for Add? He has been a Mystic Code passed through my family for tens of generations...he is also my first and oldest friend..." Remembering the state that Add had been in after trying to protect her, Gray's face formed a deep frown as a thin mist quickly spread across her stark blue eyes. Unfortunately, as the method to produce each Mystic Code was usually a closely guarded, if not outright forgotten, secret, the only response Gray received from most people present were apologetic looks.
Just as Gray seemed on the verge of tears, Vahn raised his hand before casually remarking, "I can fix him. Even if my method doesn't work, I'm certain that Scáthach would know the method used to produce Add. I may not look like it, but my skill as a Blacksmith would be able to humble most purported Masters." As someone who had been a [Master Smith] within the Record of Danmachi, bined with the fact that he had the guidance of Hephaestus herself, Vahn was confident that he could repair Add. This was assuming that a simple [Whetstone] wasn't able to repair him in an instant...
As if she hadn't quite heard him correctly, Gray's expression turned into one of confusion as a small glimmer of hope reflected in the depths of her eyes. Lord El-Melloi II also seemed more than a little skeptical but, after Vahn made good on his promise to heal Gray, he knew better than to discount the increasingly mysterious man's capabilities. He was quickly beginning to regret having failed to get Rin to reveal the information pertaining to Vahn and his true identity. Though he knew that Vahn pared himself to a Pseudo-Divine Spirit, apparently hailing from another world, that was near the limit of what Lord El-Melloi II knew about him...
Knowing he was being doubted, Vahn rolled his eyes before looking directly at Gray and repeating, "I can repair Add for you. All I need is Add himself and a room where I can enjoy some privacy." Since he stated it very clearly this time, Gray's eyes began to water even more than before as she used the sleeves of her jacket to hide her face. Though he hadn't even helped yet, she stammered in a sobbing voice, "Uuuee...thank you...
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