Or, you guys find another savior

Karen sat on the sofa, watching a morning program on TV. She held the remote but didn't change the channel.

On the television, a news report that was somewhat unsettling for children was playing.

"...Next, we have a follow-up report on the serial bizarre murders in Fuyuki City. At the scenes of the three murder cases discovered so far, mysterious patterns resembling magic circles, drawn with the victims' blood, have been found. What's concerning is what the perpetrator's magic circles signify. Today, we have invited an expert in criminal psychology..."

Serial murder cases, crime scenes with common characteristics.

No matter the era, history, or world, such things were unavoidable.

Morgan unconsciously crossed her arms, her indifferent gaze fixed on the scholar on the news analyzing the so-called possibilities.

"What do you think?" Xi Jianxi's voice cut through the air.

"How should I know? No one really does," Morgan replied dismissively, not liking murders that clearly had a sadistic element.

Xi Jianxi chuckled wryly. "If you want to talk about safety, it's certainly not safe. Compared to the 'war' that happens at night, which one is more dangerous?"

"What are you worried about?" Morgan detected the underlying concern in his words.

"I'm worried about my children," Xi Jianxi answered naturally.

Morgan always inadvertently overlooked that the Master was the father of two children—even if only an adoptive father.

He was a young man who looked no older than twenty, yet he was raising a seven-year-old and a five-year-old girl. Most people would question his motives.

But Morgan wouldn't.

As they spoke, Morgan's gaze fell upon the dining table. Seeing four bowls of miso soup and corresponding meals laid out, she couldn't help but feel taken aback.

"I know Servants don't need to eat to recover mana when they have sufficient magical energy, as it's too inefficient," Xi Jianxi said with a smile. "But since you're here, you're a distinguished guest. I subconsciously prepared an extra portion. If you think it's too much, you can just leave it there. I'll clean up after I take Sakura and Karen to school."

Morgan didn't refuse. She naturally sat down and ate breakfast with Xi Jianxi and the two children.

During breakfast, Morgan remained silent, quietly observing Xi Jianxi's every move.

He constantly talked to Sakura and Karen. Sakura responded obediently to every word, while Karen would occasionally interject with comments beyond her age, making Xi Jianxi very embarrassed.

After breakfast, just as Xi Jianxi had said, he was going to drive Karen to kindergarten and Sakura to elementary school.

Morgan, who could have stayed home or acted independently, got into the car with them and tagged along. When they arrived at Karen's kindergarten, the teacher mistook Morgan for the new mother, which required Xi Jianxi to explain for quite some time.

"There's no need to explain specifically. Isn't it fine to just go along with the misunderstanding? Or perhaps being called my husband has made you uneasy?" Morgan leaned against the car window of the passenger seat, teasing Xi Jianxi, who was driving.

"Are you sober, Morgan?" Xi Jianxi's mouth twitched.

Privately, he didn't really want to refer to her by her class. After all, it was difficult to consider this rational, cold-tempered magus of the Age of Gods as a Berserker in the conventional sense.

"The Holy Grail War will last at most two weeks, before and after. If we win, we'll go our separate ways after obtaining the Grail," Xi Jianxi reminded her with a wry smile. "I plan to continue living in Fuyuki until those two children grow up!"

Morgan glanced at Xi Jianxi indifferently. "The Grail... speaking of which, I haven't asked you, Master. Why are you participating in the Holy Grail War, and why do you want to win the Grail?"

"...Does that matter?" Xi Jianxi didn't answer immediately.

"After all, those who pursue the Grail are all dissatisfied people. Would a Master who doesn't seem like that kind of person also pursue the Grail?" Morgan said.

Xi Jianxi nodded. "For example, to reach the Root, satisfied now?"

"A lie that can be seen through at a glance is best not spoken," Morgan said, as if warning or sighing.

"Then what about you? What wish do you have to entrust to the Grail?" Xi Jianxi retorted.

The car fell silent for two seconds before Morgan let out a scoff. "Playing that card, huh."

After that, the conversation about their respective wishes for the Grail ended.

"But—" Xi Jianxi changed the subject.

"What?"

"Your attire is still too conspicuous. I suggest we buy some clothes and disguise ourselves. Although the Holy Grail War is agreed to take place at night, as it progresses, people might get carried away and fight day or night, regardless of whether people are around." Xi Jianxi offered his suggestion.

"A reasonable suggestion. So, what kind of clothes do you want to recommend?" Morgan accepted the proposal.

"I happen to know a rather expensive clothing store. The owner and I are acquainted, so he won't find your appearance too strange." Xi Jianxi turned the steering wheel to the left, and the car entered another road.

"Don't worry. While I don't particularly want to materialize, it's also a Servant's duty to materialize when necessary to reduce unnecessary trouble."

Seeing through Xi Jianxi's efforts to avoid any options that might cause conflict with her, Morgan offered reassurance.

"That would be for the best."

Chapter 5: The Land of Fuyuki

Morgan was even more suited to modern clothing than expected, to the point that Xi Jianxi couldn't help but be a little flustered upon seeing her.

Morgan was satisfied with the Master's reaction upon seeing her change her attire.

"What's next? The Holy Grail War can't officially begin yet due to the absence of Servants. Does the Master want to show off with a peerless beauty like me around town?" Morgan was in a good mood.

"Even if it's true, who calls themselves a peerless beauty?" Xi Jianxi felt a headache coming on.

He wanted to just go home, check and maintain the household's barriers, and make preparations for the battle before the Servants arrived.

But there was something more important now. He rallied himself and cheered up. "I'm sorry, but I do intend to take you around Fuyuki today, though not to show off."

"To familiarize me with the city in advance to deal with any future situations, right?"

"Yes."

Afterward, Xi Jianxi drove Morgan away from the new city where they had finished shopping, and along the way, he introduced her to some of the information he had gathered about the Holy Grail War over the past two years.

"...Fuyuki is an excellent spiritual land. It possesses spiritual veins second only to the areas managed by the Tohsaka Family, outside of the Mage's Association's jurisdiction. While it hasn't reached the point of connecting to the Root, it's quite close. Therefore, mages have settled here since ancient times."

As he spoke, the car passed in front of the Fuyuki Civic Hall, and Xi Jianxi explained to Morgan in a calm tone.

"At the end of the Holy Grail War, the summoning will occur in the best location of Fuyuki's spiritual veins. The previous three Holy Grail Wars saw summonings at the residence of the land administrator Tohsaka Family, the Fuyuki Church, and the underground great cavern of Enzou-san Ryudou Temple. I pointed out the first two to you in Shinsan Town. The Civic Hall we just passed is theoretically also a place where the Grail could be summoned, but there have been no records of it happening before."

The Grail does not inform the Servants of these matters in advance. Servants only know that the Grail can grant wishes and that they responded to the Master's summon for their own desires.

"What's the point of you telling me all this? Servants don't need to know these things," Morgan said.

Xi Jianxi shook his head. "Regardless, even though you manifested as a Berserker, it would be better to treat you as a magus in terms of your abilities, wouldn't it? Knowing more in-depth information about this Holy Grail War will also be helpful in formulating strategies and tactics."

The car stopped by the roadside. Looking from the passenger seat, across the road to the left, were high steps leading upwards. This was the last spiritual vein Xi Jianxi wanted to confirm with Morgan.

Enzou-san Ryudou Temple.

"A barrier has been erected here," Morgan said, surveying her surroundings from the foot of the steps.

"It is said that even before the system of the Holy Grail War was established, a high monk erected a spiritual barrier here using secret arts. Because it's specialized, even high-level spiritual bodies like Servants will be repelled if they try to enter or exit freely; they can only enter through the main gate," Xi Jianxi said as he walked up the steps first.

Morgan followed closely behind.

She could clearly feel that, in terms of spiritual standing, the spiritual veins of Enzou-san were far superior to the other three locations. Her keen intuition as a magus could not miss this. Xi Jianxi probably didn't mention it because he thought she would understand without him saying it.

This feeling became clearer and stronger with each step she took.

When the two reached the steps to the gate of Ryudou Temple, Morgan stopped.

"Master, you go into the temple first. I'll take a look around nearby," she said in a commanding tone.

"Is there something that concerns you?"

"Yes and no," Morgan replied, then materialized and moved away from Xi Jianxi's side.

She went behind the temple grounds, where there was a large pond.

And Fuyuki's highest-grade spiritual vein was located directly beneath the lake.

"Directly beneath it."

Morgan materialized again and moved down the mountain. It didn't take long to find the entrance.

It was a mountainside disguised by magecraft. One only needed to reach out a hand to discover it was merely a penetrable illusion.

This is it. Morgan thought.

The location of the Greater Holy Grail.

Xi Jianxi hadn't mentioned this. Either he hadn't found definitive information yet, or he believed the location of the Greater Holy Grail was unimportant.

What was important was the Lesser Holy Grail.

Regardless, the system of this Holy Grail War had many issues that, in Morgan's eyes as a magus, were worth deeply investigating.

And to confirm the points that concerned her, she had to step into the location of the Greater Holy Grail and personally analyze the system to find the answers.

Just as Morgan was about to enter the underground great cavern, the sound of beating wings reached her ears, causing her displeasure.

Insects.

It was winter, and there shouldn't be any insects active outdoors.

Swish—

Morgan didn't look back as the Winged Blade Worm was sliced to pieces by a magic blade that appeared out of nowhere, falling to the ground.

"Stop lurking in the shadows and spying, Bug Master," Morgan said coldly. "Don't think I can't curse you even if your main body isn't here."

As if in response to this warning, accompanied by a sinister laugh, a hunched old man appeared from the darkness of the woods, leaning on a cane.

"Hehehe... I didn't expect a Servant to try and control the Greater Holy Grail before the war even began. You, are you a Caster-class Servant?" The old man stood in the shade of the trees, his dark laughter emanating from his throat like a venomous snake slithering through the grass.

Morgan turned around. "I thought it was someone important, but it turns out to be the head of the Matou Family, one of the three founding families who designed this Holy Grail War ritual, a family so decayed they can't even cultivate mages anymore."

"Don't get too arrogant, you mere Servant," the old man's sunken eyes revealed a sharp glint.

"After all your efforts, you can only prolong your life so grotesquely with magecraft," Morgan raised her hand. "I had initially intended to show some respect to the lineage that designed such a system, but now, there's no need for that."

As Morgan finished speaking, energy condensed into a light bullet, which fired like bullets from an automatic rifle without any incantation.

The old man's body was instantly torn to shreds, falling to the ground and gradually turning to dust.

"I'm not so foolish as to confront a Servant head-on, let alone with magecraft," the old man's sinister voice echoed and faded into the forest. "Go ahead and try to control the Greater Holy Grail if you wish, but don't think that means you've secured victory."

In fact, the Matou Family head's mocking laughter didn't reach Morgan's ears at all.

She turned and walked into the entrance of the underground great cavern, concealed by illusionary magecraft.

After all, from the beginning, Morgan had no intention of controlling the Greater Holy Grail here as her own base.

Chapter Six: Visitor

Emerging from the underground great cavern once more, Morgan's expression was somewhat solemn.

She had indeed reached the location of the Greater Holy Grail.

The great cavern where the Greater Holy Grail's magic circle was located did have barriers to isolate Servants and spiritual bodies, but those mechanisms were no more than child's play in Morgan's eyes.

However, after examining the Greater Holy Grail, Morgan confirmed that the magic circle possessed the function of adjusting Fuyuki's land to be suitable for summoning and initiating the Holy Grail War ritual. She also discovered a dire fact.

"This contaminated thing, even as a wish-granting machine for realizing desires, is hardly useful."

Morgan made her judgment.

It was late outside, and she hadn't expected that investigating the location of the Greater Holy Grail would unexpectedly consume so much time.

Returning to the grounds of Ryudou Temple, Xi Jianxi's figure was nowhere to be seen.

So, Morgan sensed him slightly. The magical connection with her Master remained, but his presence was no longer within Ryudou Temple or even the boundaries of Mount Enzou.

Where did you go, Master? To act alone, abandoning your Servant? Even if the Holy Grail War hasn't begun, acting so rashly is unacceptable. Morgan contacted Xi Jianxi's consciousness through the magical pathway.

Sorry... you were investigating the vicinity for too long. I thought it wouldn't take much time. It's already after school, so I'm going to pick up Sakura and Karen from home. Can you materialize back on your own?

Xi Jianxi sincerely apologized for leaving Morgan behind.

Upon hearing this reply, Morgan was no longer angry.

Her Master was a Magus who was too sentimental in every sense of the word, making him almost unqualified to a certain extent.

Understanding the current situation, Morgan materialized and returned to the Xi family residence in the residential area of Miyama Town.

Instead of materializing directly inside, she pushed open the gate and walked in as if it were her own home.

Unexpectedly, the Xi residence had a visitor.

As she passed the veranda, through the glass, Morgan clearly saw the guest.