The Land Chosen as the Battlefield

The faint aroma of tea wafted from the Tohsaka family's balcony.

Within the gold-trimmed patterns of the pure white porcelain cup, the crimson liquid swirled, creating ripples. Anyone with a basic understanding of tea ceremony would recognize the exquisite flavor.

Abner, dressed in a gray suit, had lived in Britain's Clock Tower for years, cultivating the etiquette and refinement of an English aristocratic gentleman. He took a careful sip, the intense heat making his tongue go numb.

In truth, Abner wasn't much of a fan of black tea; he was a coffee person, specifically instant coffee. In the world of magecraft, where self-proclaimed nobility and elegance reigned supreme, he was undoubtedly an anomaly.

"So, what brings you here? A Heretic Magus coming to see the Dismantling Witch probably isn't for anything good, is it?"

Tohsaka Rin, who also took a sip of her black tea, spoke with a tone that remained utterly devoid of warmth, unaffected by the beverage. Beneath a heavy layer of self-deprecation lay Rin's completely unconcerned inquiry.

The "Dismantling Witch"—this wasn't to say Rin had any bloody legends associated with her. It was because, forty years ago, the ones who advocated for the dismantling of the Greater Grail were none other than Abner's mentor, Lord El-Melloi II, and the woman before him, Tohsaka Rin.

After a series of struggles, the two of them succeeded in dismantling the Greater Grail, bringing the Holy Grail War to a definitive end.

Following that, while they "reconciled" with the Mage's Association, it was ultimately just a superficial gesture. Abner's current predicament, as a disciple of Lord El-Melloi II, was proof enough. Had it not been for this incident, Abner would likely have been promoted to a core figure at the Clock Tower.

The word "dismantling" was a derogatory term used by certain mages who were enthusiastic about the Holy Grail War, referring to Tohsaka Rin.

Rin's integrity had also led her to largely sever ties with the Clock Tower. She had settled in Fuyuki City, focusing on her own magecraft research, only dispatching familiars to the Clock Tower to announce any major breakthroughs in her magic. Her personal visits to the Clock Tower were few and far between.

And "Heretic Magus" was the contemptuous nickname the "nobles" of the Clock Tower bestowed upon Abner.

Abner, born into the Winifred family, should have had a much brighter future, studying his family's magecraft, visiting renowned mage families, and becoming the head of a prominent lineage.

Instead, he had abandoned the fundamental for the trivial, apprenticing himself to Lord El-Melloi II, whose skill level was only second-rate!

What's more, under Lord El-Melloi II's misguided tutelage, this man—a proper magus—had gone and studied "science"!

The head of the Winifred family had actually earned a Master's degree in Fluid Dynamics! This was an absolute laughingstock in the world of mages! It was as absurd and nonsensical as a cat learning how to run from a mouse.

Those who couldn't surpass Abner in magecraft happily used this as material to mock him, fabricating the title "Heretic Magus" and pinning it on him behind his back, venting their frustration at their own inadequacies.

Due to their unique statuses, Abner, despite having long admired her, was meeting Tohsaka Rin face-to-face for the first time.

Though both held the status of Family Head, Abner was, after all, a young man. Facing Tohsaka, who had been a Family Head for decades, he remained somewhat cautious.

Faced with Rin's self-deprecating jest, he feared angering her if he responded, yet not responding would seem to lack integrity. After much deliberation, he ultimately skirted around the topic and stated his purpose directly.

"This time, I wish to confirm the details of the Holy Grail War with you."

"Oh?"

The woman, like a blazing crimson fire, let out a sound that was both intrigued and amused.

She shifted her posture, crossing one leg over the other, resting her right elbow on the armrest and propping up her chin. This pose was hardly elegant for the head of a prestigious family, but when Tohsaka Rin adopted it, it exuded a dignified aura, completely devoid of any decadence. It was as if a high-ranking monarch were listening to the counsel of a subordinate.

"Why do you care about it? The Holy Grail War ended forty years ago."

Rin's voice carried a heavy sense of helplessness and wariness.

"Seeing this... and you can still say that?"

Abner directly revealed the back of his right hand. Beneath the removed white glove were three crimson marks, shaped like swirling vortexes, reminiscent of the water attribute Abner specialized in. The surging magical energy emanating from them was like a tsunami, flooding Rin's senses.

"!"

Rin displayed a rare look of panic: "This, this is! How is that possible? Command Spells?"

"Yes, Command Spells. I have been chosen as a participant in the Holy Grail War."

Abner spoke word by word, each syllable striking like an iron hammer, shattering the cracks of anxiety in Rin's calm defenses.

"So... that means..."

"It means someone, with ulterior motives, has reset the Holy Grail War."

"That's impossible. The Holy Grail War is a system made possible by the technology of the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families... I find it hard to believe..."

Rin's brow furrowed. The elder, who had been calm for decades, seemed on the verge of releasing all the anxiety she had accumulated. Her ageless, stunningly beautiful face showed a look of deep concern.

"Then... the location of this Holy Grail War? As the administrator of Fuyuki City, I haven't detected any anomalies in the ley lines."

"Indeed. The battlefield this time is in China. A city called Qianxi in Hebei Province. From the moment I received the Command Spells, strangely enough, I knew this information. It was as if it were common knowledge."

"Qianxi? I've never heard of it. Who is responsible for managing the ley lines there?"

"No one. It's a city that emerged three years ago. The Mage's Association's influence hasn't reached there yet. The same applies to the Holy Church. It seems the enemy chose this location after thorough preparation."

"Enemy."

Rin was surprised that the refined Abner would use such a blunt word.

"...I see. If possible, I truly wish I could go there myself... but I can only entrust this to you."

Rin sighed helplessly. The dignity of her position finally faded, and before Abner now stood not a Family Head, but simply a senior worried about impending disaster.

"Yes, I will do my utmost. To investigate the origins of this Holy Grail War, and if possible... I truly wish to hold the Holy Grail myself... to glimpse the Root is truly a temptation one cannot easily dismiss."

Abner smiled honestly—he knew that when conversing with an ally, revealing some of one's true feelings and being open was the wise approach. If they were to be suspicious of each other from the start, then there was no point in forming an alliance.

However, Rin didn't dislike this honesty.

In fact, as a member of the Tohsaka family, she genuinely wanted to visit Qianxi herself.

But she couldn't.

Rin's seclusion in Fuyuki was more than just simple "seclusion."

Her identity was too special.

Because she had dismantled the Greater Grail, Tohsaka Rin's identity had become "famous" in the mage world. Every move she made would become a target for those who paid attention. On a small scale, it would lead to the Tohsaka Family facing united resistance, and Fuyuki being drawn into the struggle among magi. On a large scale, it could lead to a massive factional split and internal conflict within the mage world.

Tohsaka Rin couldn't afford to fight, nor could she afford to be worn down. If she were the original Miss Tohsaka, who feared nothing, she wouldn't care.

But now, she was the head of the Tohsaka clan. She was Tohsaka Mina's grandmother and master. Until Mina grew up, she couldn't afford to take any risks. As the Family Head, she often had no choice but to act according to her position.

She was a smart person. For a dangerous game like "Death Roulette," even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance it could throw the family into chaos, she would never agree to it.

It was precisely because she didn't want to see her descendants continue to kill each other without restraint in the Holy Grail War as magi that she had agreed to dismantle the Greater Grail.

This directly led to Tohsaka Rin, as a person, being unable to act recklessly. Every move had to be cautious. The reason she had allowed her daughter to marry into Germany without pursuing her was also due to this: she couldn't leave Fuyuki.

This was the same reason Abner visited Tohsaka Rin instead of his own teacher, Lord El-Melloi II.

Lord El-Melloi II was more dangerous than Tohsaka Rin. While he himself wasn't a top-tier magus, he had many disciples, enough to change the landscape of the Clock Tower. Now, with the Holy Grail War happening, and himself being a disciple of Lord El-Melloi II and a "Heretic Magus," visiting Lord El-Melloi II could easily leak unfavorable rumors and attract too much attention to himself.

"So, Abner, as a reference, may I ask what kind of Servant you wish to summon?"

As a former participant in the Holy Grail War, Tohsaka Rin could only offer as much reference as possible to her junior in this regard.

Abner smiled gently and was about to speak when Tohsaka Rin's brow suddenly furrowed.

"What is it?"

"No, it's nothing. Just family matters. Continue. What kind of Servant do you wish to summon?"