Or, you guys find another savior

Xi Jianxi was dumbfounded this time.

Whether it was El-Melloi II or Leinette, the current backbone of the El-Melloi faction, their methods were truly beyond his common sense.

They actually asked a mage who had killed the previous head of their faction to be a private tutor for the heir who held the position of faction head and would ascend to the position of Clock Tower Lord upon reaching adulthood.

This approach was far too magely.

"Hahahaha!" Leinette burst into laughter, as if this wasn't a serious meeting but an interview for a private tutor. "It's understandable that Mr. Xi Jianxi is surprised. But as I said earlier, I'm not interested in revenge or anything like that. Rather, I'm more interested in how much skill a mage who can kill my adoptive brother, a genius, possesses."

Leinette was not lying.

After all, before they set out, the faction was full of death warnings for Kayneth, but Kayneth never paid them any mind and didn't consider Xi Jianxi an opponent to be wary of.

Even after seeing him fight Diarmuid with such ease, he realized the warnings were not lies and instinctively wanted to strike first for self-preservation. However, after his opponent was severely injured, he began to underestimate him again.

It was this constant wavering that ultimately led to his death in the duel with Xi Jianxi.

After the Holy Grail War ended, Xi Jianxi became a focal point due to killing the head of the aristocratic faction.

Of course, this did not mean he would be prosecuted.

For mages, life and death were commonplace. Not to mention the Holy Grail War, a bloody game where seven Masters and seven Servants killed each other to compete for the one and only wish-granting machine.

When he participated with the mindset of a magical competition, Kayneth's death was already inevitable.

Therefore, Xi Jianxi did not get into trouble. Instead, through this outcome, he became a token of allegiance to the democratic faction, making Xi Jianxi, who already had some personal connections with Inorai, a distinguished guest of the democratic faction.

A backgroundless mage who could kill other faction heads, Xi Jianxi perfectly embodied the ideals of the democratic faction and delivered a harsh blow to those self-proclaimed noble mages.

Furthermore, Xi Jianxi discovered a problem with the Greater Holy Grail during the middle of the Holy Grail War and joined forces with the Tohsaka Family, the Einzbern, and the Holy Church to purify the Greater Holy Grail, preventing the danger posed by a contaminated Grail and laying the foundation for the future of the Holy Grail War.

With the addition of these two achievements, Inorai, representing the democratic faction, was already planning to elevate Xi Jianxi's rank to Brand.

This was an unprecedented exception, and the aristocratic faction was naturally doing its best to obstruct it. The two factions had been in a tug-of-war until now, five years after the Fourth Holy Grail War, and there had been no progress.

On the other hand, Xi Jianxi had paid special attention to the situation at the Clock Tower in recent years for the sake of his own and his family's circumstances.

After Kayneth's death, the El-Melloi faction disintegrated. External forces seized the family's assets, and many branch families also broke apart after the plundering.

Only his former fiancée—and one of the survivors of the Fourth Holy Grail War—Sola-Ui Nuada-Reich Sofia-li stepped forward, used her own resources, and cooperated with Waver, who returned to the Clock Tower after borrowing money, to buy Kayneth's classroom. Waver then stepped forward as a teacher to manage it.

After several twists and turns, Leinette, who had the highest compatibility with the origin imprint of El-Melloi, became the successor. She brought Waver, who was managing the El-Melloi school, into the faction and bestowed upon him the name Lord El-Melloi.

As for "Second," it was something Waver himself requested.

Regardless of whether Leinette harbored any thoughts of revenge against Xi Jianxi.

For the El-Melloi faction, it was more beneficial to cut their losses and run rather than find ways to get revenge on Xi Jianxi.

After all, no one could guarantee that Xi Jianxi wouldn't be pushed to the rank of Lord by the democratic faction one day, or even become the Lord of a certain department.

So when the proposal to promote Xi Jianxi came up, a rumor spread:

"When that guy reaches the position of Lord, who knows how many heads of the aristocratic faction he'll lop off. Maybe the Clock Tower will be dominated by those democratic faction people then."

Although Xi Jianxi wanted to hold the person spreading this rumor accountable, the source could not be traced, so he had to give up.

"Is this the reason why you arranged to meet me here through Ms. Inorai's channel?" Xi Jianxi looked at Inorai. "Does this mean El-Melloi is preparing to lean towards the democratic faction?"

Leinette waved her hands exaggeratedly. "How could that be! If I sided with the democratic faction, I wouldn't have enough lives to spare. But negotiating with the democratic faction and inviting a top mage like you to be my private tutor is not a problem—"

As she said this, Leinette suddenly scanned Xi Jianxi and Inorai with a cunning that didn't belong to her age. "Of course, if I truly become Mr. Xi Jianxi's student, and in the future lead El-Melloi to join the democratic faction as a disciple, it would be much safer, wouldn't it?"

At that time, if the aristocratic faction tried to cause trouble again, Xi Jianxi would also step forward for the sake of the faction's interests and loyalty.

In other words, this was a blank check, promising to join the democratic faction, with no set date for redemption.

Even so, the mere fact that such a condition could be offered was enough for Inorai, a politician at the Clock Tower, to be willing to act as a go-between and establish a connection between Xi Jianxi and El-Melloi.

"I have never formally taken on any disciples, except for my own children. I only regularly give some magic lessons to Rin Tohsaka, the head of the Tohsaka Family in Fuyuki, Japan," Xi Jianxi stated his situation directly after understanding the purpose of the meeting, without wasting any more words. "My teaching ability is yet to be determined. If you are satisfied with this, then I do not intend to refuse."

One could even say that Inorai, Leinette, and even El-Melloi II had calculated that Xi Jianxi would absolutely not refuse, which was why they prepared this meeting.

After all... this person truly had a family to support, and he wouldn't reject a job that could earn him a decent living.

"One last question, does that young lady of the Sofia-li family have any objections to this?" Xi Jianxi asked for a final confirmation.

Leinette couldn't stop laughing. "Please rest assured, Ms. Sola-Ui absolutely does not want to see you, and you don't need to meet her."

"That would be for the best."

Xi Jianxi nodded and shook hands with Leinette, signifying their agreement.

Chapter 1: Private Tutor

July, 2003.

Even in summer, London was not particularly hot. The highest temperature only reached around 25 degrees Celsius, with an average daily temperature as low as 15 degrees Celsius, requiring people to guard against the cold at night.

But even with such a cool summer, the courtyard of this elegant mansion on Cella Street was still bustling with activity.

Leinette gathered magical energy at her fingertips, intending to command her Mystic Code—"Moon Cell Essence"—to attack the person in front of her. However, her attack, which she believed was fully prepared, lost its sharpness upon touching Xi Jianxi and even slipped out of Leinette's control.

And he, with just a simple, inconspicuous magical gesture using his index finger, had completed the defense.

"Not bad at all. Then—"

Leinette, getting more and more excited, prepared to attack again, her flame-colored Mystic Eyes shining with even greater intensity.

But the overreaction of these Mystic Eyes interfered with Leinette's operation of her magic circuits. She closed her eyes in pain and reached into her pocket to fumble for her specially made eye drops.

Then, as Leinette's left eye opened slightly, she saw Xi Jianxi walking over, still extending his index finger and placing it on her brow.

His fingertips carried a faint glow, the power of spring's return and trees sprouting, subtle and continuous, flowing into the nerves of Leinette's Mystic Eyes and driving away the burning sensation caused by the overreaction.

Leinette's mind cleared once more.

"That's enough for today's practical lesson. Continuing would be of no benefit to you," Xi Jianxi withdrew his hand and walked to a few tables in the corner of the courtyard.

There, a table and tea set were placed. Xi Jianxi naturally picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup.

"What a shame, is it over already?" Leinette expressed her regret.

These were merely words spoken aloud.

Leinette El-Melloi Arch Zolti knew her own physical condition well. Even with the specially made eye drops to suppress the overreaction of her Mystic Eyes, she wouldn't be able to continue operating her magic circuits or proceed with today's practical lesson.

"But Teacher, you're really something, to be able to suppress my Mystic Eyes overheating," Leinette said, sitting opposite Xi Jianxi with a playful smile. "I'm starting to think it was the best decision for my brother to hire you as my tutor."

Xi Jianxi remained unfazed. "This sort of thing isn't difficult. It's just that you, the person involved, were too weak to focus on such matters during the overreaction. And El-Melloi II isn't skilled in this type of operation."

Furthermore, Leinette basically didn't trust anyone. In a state of overreaction, the only person permitted to approach her, apply the magic he just did, and alleviate the pain of the overreaction was her tutor.

Of course, Xi Jianxi being able to help like this was something that had only happened in the last two years.

"That move you used to stop Trimurti from continuing its attack, was that what you used to defeat my adoptive brother?"

With the practical lesson over and break time arriving, Leinette asked the question again. The Trimurti she spoke of was the mercury maid formed by further overwriting her personality with 'Moon Cell Essence.' It was Leinette's proudest Noble Phantasm.

Initially, she held no grudges against Xi Jianxi for killing Kayneth. After all, in her childhood, Leinette was one of the most inconspicuous members of the Arch Zolti branch family, naturally unable to catch the eye of the favored Kayneth. Their connection was merely through blood ties.

As their trust grew, Leinette remained very interested in how Xi Jianxi killed Kayneth.

When Kayneth's body was transported back to the Clock Tower, the autopsy report only stated that he died from a sharp object piercing his heart. Due to the curse, the El-Melloi magic circuits were completely incapable of any life-saving treatment.

However, from 1999 to the present, four years later, Leinette had never seen Xi Jianxi use any weapons.

This person, on the other hand, was very much like a typical magus.

Moreover, the post-battle reports from the Holy Grail War were often vague due to considerations of various interests. No matter how many times Leinette reviewed them, she couldn't accurately deduce the circumstances of Kayneth's final battle.

"That was just Rune Magic used to interfere with the deployment of weapons," Xi Jianxi replied, counting silently in his mind.

The twenty-sixth time.

This was the twenty-sixth time she had asked since he became Leinette's tutor, but Xi Jianxi had no intention of revealing any detailed information.

"I know."

Leinette had also learned Rune Magic. However, with her exceptional talent, she had keenly realized that Rune Magic in Xi Jianxi's hands and in hers were on completely different levels.

"There's no difference in the magic itself; the problem lies with the user," Xi Jianxi raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been on the battlefield before and lack practical experience, so don't worry about it."

Leinette sighed, knowing she had been put off again.

She had also asked El-Melloi II about it, but his answers were always similar, usually just "That person is one of the most special magi."

"Putting that aside, Miss Leinette, starting next week, I'd like to request a week of leave." Xi Jianxi said.

His tutoring work for Leinette was essentially on par with the density of a Clock Tower lecturer, and the compensation was quite generous—it was clear Leinette was doing her best to retain talent.

"Oh? Teacher wants to take leave? Is something going on at home?" Leinette was very curious.

She had become quite familiar with Xi Jianxi's two daughters and was still considering whether to address them as friends.

As far as Leinette knew, Sakura mainly studied foundational courses in both general and individual foundations, and only participated in the most ordinary magus course exams.

Karen had been recommended to attend El-Melloi II's class.

It was now July, and soon the Clock Tower would also give students a holiday. Leinette had originally expected to start her holiday in August. She hadn't expected that Xi Jianxi, who rarely took leave during work, would proactively request such a long vacation, aside from regular holidays.

"You could say that," Xi Jianxi put down his teacup. "My wife and I have some things to attend to, and since we won't be leaving Britain, a week should be enough."

Leinette clasped her hands together, propped her chin on them, and stared suspiciously at Xi Jianxi.

She knew Xi Jianxi was married, but she had only met the woman named Toneriko Xi Jianxi about four or five times in several years. Although her appearance was clearly Western, she had a Japanese name.

It was mysterious in every sense of the word.

"It's not a big deal; El-Melloi II needs to investigate something," Xi Jianxi continued. "You can ask him for the specific details."

Sensing Leinette's unconcealable curiosity, Xi Jianxi decisively chose to shift the blame and silently drew a cross for El-Melloi II in his heart.

Chapter 2: Journey

The next morning, Xi Jianxi and Morgan boarded a diesel train to Wales at Paddington Station.

Feeling the sway of the train and gazing leisurely at the countryside scenery outside the window, Morgan said to Xi Jianxi in a relaxed tone:

"To call me out for a trip at this time of year, have you started finding the children bothersome now that they've grown up?"

"You know that's not true," Xi Jianxi replied, his lips pursed in a helpless expression as he sat on the sofa in the luxury carriage, looking at the report in his hands.

"So, where are we going today?" Morgan hadn't asked for specifics before they departed.

It had been over nine years since the Fourth Holy Grail War, and even she hadn't expected to remain in this era for so long.

However, it was ultimately her own choice, and Morgan had no intention of regretting it.

The previous words were just a spur-of-the-moment joke.

Xi Jianxi clearly enjoyed traveling, taking his whole family out almost every holiday.

Initially, their trips were limited to Japan, but once Sakura and Karen were a bit older, they started visiting foreign countries.

During the Easter holiday a few months ago, he had even taken her and their two children to Easter Island.

However, the atmosphere of a honeymoon trip wasn't very apparent on their outing today.

"To a place related to you," Xi Jianxi paused after saying this. "Or rather... a place that should be related to you."

Morgan was slightly taken aback, then nodded silently.

Although she had never explicitly stated it, Xi Jianxi's keen insight had long ago detected Morgan's uniqueness.

But this was the first time he had voiced it so openly.

Having reached a general conclusion in her mind, Morgan began to relax and enjoy the journey.

After two hours of swaying on the train, the two arrived at Cardiff, the capital of Wales. They then switched to a bus, watching road signs written in both English and Welsh flash by. After another five hours, they began their ascent up the mountain.

The mountain path was quite rugged, and even Morgan thought it seemed designed to destroy human feet more efficiently.

"Are you tired?"

At a particularly steep section, Xi Jianxi went ahead, then reached out his hand to pull Morgan up, offering her a suggestion.

"This mountain path is quite difficult, and the air here isn't great either. How about we go spiritual?"

Sharp bird calls frequently echoed, and the smell of decaying earth, dung, and fruit mixed into the unique mountain aroma.