Teacher and Student

Even he himself did not know what the wish buried within his heart truly was.

"You're right, Kirei. It's still too early for self-pity. Even a Godslayer may not be able to defeat the invincible King of Heroes."

Hearing Kirei Kotomine's words, Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded lightly, then carefully recalled the situation from before.

"The Einzbern Family's Heroic Spirit's true name is King Arthur, her class is Saber. That Clock Tower brat is Rider, the King of Conquerors. According to the intelligence, the Godslayer Fionn mac Cumhaill is likely that Lord from the Mineralogy Department who came from afar. As for Scáthach, the Queen of the Land of Shadows who was summoned in violation of the rules... Hmph, it is probably the Matou Family."

"After all, other than the Matou Family, who knows the Holy Grail War's rules and secrets inside out, no other Magus could so easily summon and command the Queen of the Land of Shadows. Perhaps he is even hiding a Caster in his hand right now."

Tokiomi Tohsaka snorted coldly, immediately turning his attention toward the Matou Family, with whom he had not communicated for a long time, and listed them as the greatest threat in this Holy Grail War.

"...That is indeed very possible. According to the intelligence Assassin reported not long ago, there was an abnormal magical energy reaction within the Matou Family residence recently. It may be related to this."

Kirei Kotomine nodded, agreeing with Tokiomi Tohsaka's speculation.

"Then, Teacher, what should we do now?"

"...There should be no mistake. The Matou Family is behind this... A Godslayer and Caster truly are troublesome opponents. However, since things have come to this, I have a proposal."

After considering it carefully, Tokiomi Tohsaka spoke to him.

"Please tell me, Teacher."

Kirei Kotomine nodded slightly, waiting for Tokiomi Tohsaka's instructions.

"An alliance... what do you think?"

He said it bluntly.

"...An alliance?"

Kirei Kotomine froze at those words, but quickly understood what Tokiomi Tohsaka had in mind.

After all, anyone could see that the appearance of two Lancers in one Holy Grail War was clearly abnormal. It was most likely the work of that Caster who had yet to show himself. A foe like Caster only became harder to deal with the longer one delayed, and their unpredictability was the most difficult thing to assess.

Some could even bypass everyone else and directly target the Greater Grail.

While everyone else was fighting to the death, there was a Caster secretly tampering with the prize behind their backs. Surely no one could tolerate that, right? What was more, that Caster had already illegally summoned Lancer—Scáthach.

In such a short time, the other side had managed to summon the Queen of the Land of Shadows. Her threat was already self-evident. If they were given more time and summoned several more overpowered Servants, then they might as well stop fighting altogether.

Therefore, Tokiomi Tohsaka intended to end things quickly by joining forces with the other Masters and directly eliminating this grave threat.

As for who to ally with...

The Einzbern Family, who had already suffered defeat in last night's battle at the harbor, would surely be even more anxious than he was. They would definitely agree to this mutually beneficial plan.

With that thought, Tokiomi Tohsaka's previously worried mood gradually calmed.

"Ancestor Nagato, bless me. No matter what, I must claim victory in this Holy Grail War and personally fulfill the family's long-cherished wish."

He murmured softly, then lifted his gaze toward the window, his eyes becoming increasingly resolute.

"With my old friend's help and the King of Heroes as my trump card, no matter who my opponent is, I will never admit defeat."

"The victory of this Holy Grail War can only belong to me. For that, even if I must give my life, even if I fall upon the road to truth, I shall do so willingly..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka murmured under his breath, clasping his hands as he prayed to his ancestor for protection.

As his prayer grew quieter and quieter, the images of his two daughters unexpectedly surfaced before his eyes.

...Rin, if Father fails, the future of the Tohsaka Family will be entrusted to you.

And Sakura...

Are you doing well right now? Once you embark upon the path of magecraft, surely you too will find true happiness and joy, won't you?

You will, won't you?

Teacher and Student

"Do you like it?"

"If it isn't enough, I still have plenty more at my place. If you want them, you can come take some anytime."

A familiar sharp and caustic voice had, for once, become gentle.

"...Yes, I like them very much. Thank you... Uncle?"

"Uncle... That works too."

A little girl with a somewhat timid expression sat in the luxurious room and answered like that.

Across from her, a certain blond Lemon Head's heart was practically melting. He looked at the little girl before him as though he had discovered some rare and precious treasure that was nearly impossible to find in this world, his eyes filled with appreciation.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he spoke softly with the little girl while explaining his relationship with her.

You are Rovey's adopted daughter, and I am Rovey's teacher.

A teacher is like a father, so I should be your grandteacher.

As Kenneth continued endlessly elaborating on his greatness, Sakura Tohsaka merely nodded in silence. Still very young, she could not understand what this Lemon Head uncle meant by the Clock Tower Lord or the glory of the El-Melloi Faction.

She had only heard Rovey say that it was a place for studying.

In the future, both she and her sister would go there to study if nothing unexpected happened.

So, was the Clock Tower a new kindergarten? And was this Lemon Head uncle her teacher...

"Um, Rovey... Is Professor Kenneth really normal in this state?"

On the other side, it was Weber's first time seeing Kenneth like this as well. His expression was clearly one of immense surprise, even discomfort.

It was hard to imagine that the sharp-tongued Professor Kenneth could show such a gentle expression, and to a little girl he had only just met. Could it be that Professor Kenneth liked children?

Naturally, the truth was nowhere near as simple as it looked on the surface...

As an old-established aristocrat of magecraft, Kenneth was naturally not some shallow and incompetent fool who only valued appearances.

What he valued was not Sakura Tohsaka's appearance, that vulgar and meaningless thing. What he cherished was her unparalleled talent for magecraft!!

An Imaginary Numbers Constitution, along with such exceptional innate potential—this aptitude was simply unbelievable...

Without exaggeration, judging solely by her raw stats, this little girl's talent even surpassed his own. She could practically be called a treasure of the magecraft world! It was hard to imagine that such a miracle had appeared before his very eyes so vividly. How could Kenneth not be excited?

With talent comparable to that of the Age of Gods, if she were guided in time, she would undoubtedly become a Lord-class Magus in the future.

Even Kenneth, whose standards were exceptionally high, gave an extremely favorable evaluation to a genius like Sakura Tohsaka. The way he looked at her was filled with incomparable satisfaction.

"Ahem, Professor Kenneth, don't get so excited when you've just met her. You'll frighten Sakura if you're this enthusiastic."

Only after Rovey's reminder and seeing Sakura Tohsaka's somewhat frightened gaze did he reluctantly withdraw his eyes.

That was right. When dealing with such a treasure, such a genius, he could not be too excited or too forceful. He had to be tolerant and protective, as though caring for a beloved person...

That way, he could establish a good image of himself as an elder.

Kenneth was rather dismissive of Weber's whispers. This mediocrity had not even seen the essence of the matter.

"Hmph, Weber, what could a useless fellow like you possibly understand?"

"Do you know what astonishing talent and aptitude this little girl possesses? Without exaggeration, she has a chance to achieve something on the level of Barthomeloi in the future!"

The moment his gaze left Sakura Tohsaka, Kenneth's attitude immediately returned to normal. He promptly began lecturing Weber.

"Forget it. A mediocrity like you would find it difficult to understand such a miracle... Still, coming to participate in this Holy Grail War has truly paid off. To think I would obtain such a treasure as well. Isn't this far more valuable than some counterfeit Holy Grail?"

"Heh heh, I can already foresee the complete rise of the El-Melloi Faction!"

In his excellent mood, Kenneth had no intention of arguing with Weber. His mind was filled with visions of the El-Melloi Family's rise after Rovey married into it.

Not only would the Crowley Family merge with El-Melloi and become inseparable from it, but they would also gain two geniuses: Rovey, who was very likely to achieve Grand Rank in the future, and this magecraft prodigy with an Imaginary Numbers Constitution. With him currently at the helm as well, they might even achieve the grand feat of having three Grand Ranks in one family. If that truly happened, the El-Melloi Faction's influence within the Clock Tower would undoubtedly rise to another level.

"Ah, Professor Kenneth, it's one thing for you to always have your eye on me, but now you even have your eye on the little girl I just adopted? You even want to take us both in one package..."

Hearing Kenneth's completely undisguised ambition, Rovey felt somewhat helpless.

"Hmph, dream on, brat."

"Other than me, who do you think is qualified to educate such a genius? You? Or that mediocrity Weber?"

Kenneth snorted disdainfully, once again hurting the innocent Weber.

Rovey could only feel a little helpless about that.

He had indeed brought Sakura Tohsaka over partly to curry favor with Kenneth. After all, geniuses treasured geniuses, especially geniuses on their own side. Thus, Kenneth naturally doted on this junior who was destined to join the El-Melloi Faction.

However, the bigger reason was that the purification ritual on his side had already begun. It was filtering magical energy from the corrupted Holy Grail and the Leyline of Fuyuki City, then condensing it.

The amount of magical energy in that place was now rapidly climbing. The Ether concentration was nearly returning to the level of the Age of Gods. It was obviously unsuitable for a little girl like Sakura Tohsaka to remain in such a harsh environment. Besides, Aozaki Touko was still in the basement with Irisviel, continuing their exploration of the mysteries of the human body, and had no time to take care of her.

As for Scáthach? Scáthach was even less worth mentioning. With her personality and way of handling things, Rovey would be thanking the heavens if she did not go out and cause trouble. Expecting her to care for a little girl? Rovey might as well hope that Gilgamesh would look after children.

However, Rovey clearly would not do something as foolish as hiding Sakura Tohsaka in some corner of Fuyuki City and then having someone discover her, resulting in a direct raid on his home. So he simply kept Sakura Tohsaka at his side for the time being.

In this dangerous Holy Grail War, with himself and three Servants present, his side was clearly the safest place.

At first, when Kenneth, the workshop's owner, heard that Rovey had brought a little girl with him, he had been disdainful.

He believed that a genius like Rovey abandoning the study of magecraft to adopt a little girl was clearly a deviation from the proper path. He did not remember teaching Rovey to degenerate into one of those lowborn aristocrats who raised children in captivity!

Still, he did not say much. He had so many floors under his control anyway, and there was room for one little girl. As long as she did not disturb him, it was fine.

Then the result was...

When Rovey truly brought Sakura Tohsaka over, Kenneth cast a powerful memory-erasing spell on himself. He very naturally forgot his disdainful attitude from moments ago, then made a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and put on the scene before Rovey and Weber.

From the very first glance he laid upon Sakura Tohsaka, his eyes had gone wide, and his gaze had never left her.

Not only that, afterward Kenneth interrogated Rovey at length, repeatedly asking: This is your adopted daughter? Where exactly did you find a little girl with this kind of talent? And all sorts of questions like that.

In response, Rovey simply made up an excuse.

He said that after arriving in Fuyuki City, he had paid the Tohsaka Family a visit and met Sakura Tohsaka there. At the time, Tokiomi Tohsaka had been troubled because the family's magecraft inheritance prevented him from cultivating two heirs at once, so Rovey had gone with the flow and adopted the girl.

In any case, Magic Crests had never been a problem for his family. Whether they were reforged through Alchemy or divided through branching, it could all be done easily. Raising a girl with such outstanding talent was no issue at all.

Rather, he was the one who had struck gold by steadily gaining such an heir.

Upon hearing that, Kenneth completely lost his restraint.

First, he praised and envied Rovey's good fortune. Then, he began criticizing Tokiomi Tohsaka's actions, saying that giving away such a treasure over an issue like a Magic Crest proved he was utterly incompetent.

Then, upon realizing that there were actually two such treasures, an evil thought rose in his heart. He directly wanted to take Rovey and Weber to raid the Tohsaka Residence, designate that golden Heroic Spirit as their first target for elimination, and take the other magecraft prodigy, Rin Tohsaka, along the way!!

Naturally, Rovey and Weber shook their heads like rattles at Professor Kenneth's plan to snatch little girls.

Raiding someone's home just to abduct their daughter was something they could never bring themselves to do...

Moreover, Rovey knew Gilgamesh's strength in this Holy Grail War very well. Although the golden gentleman was an obstacle he had to defeat in this Holy Grail War, now was absolutely not the time to target him. Therefore, he decisively stopped Kenneth's absurd idea.

He told him that he absolutely had to prioritize the bigger picture—the bigger picture!

It was not only Rovey. Even Fionn mac Cumhaill felt that making the King of Heroes their first target was clearly inappropriate, so he hurriedly persuaded Kenneth to abandon the unrealistic idea.

"..."

After calming down for a while, Kenneth gradually realized that stealing someone else's daughter was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

He was a Lord, not a bandit.

Moreover, although the Tohsaka Family had not been passed down for many generations, its ancestor Nagato Tohsaka had been the Jewel Magician's disciple. As a result, Tokiomi Tohsaka held some reputation within the Clock Tower. Furthermore, Tokiomi Tohsaka leaned toward the Aristocratic Faction, making him a fellow traveler. If Kenneth truly did such a thing and word got out, the Aristocratic Faction's reputation would undoubtedly suffer, and those people from the Democratic Faction would use it as ammunition.

After weighing the pros and cons, Kenneth finally gave up on the tempting idea in resignation and decided to get through the Holy Grail War before discussing anything else.

However, in his heart, he had already very naturally regarded Sakura as someone from his own family.

Rovey would definitely marry into his family and become one of his people. Sakura Tohsaka belonged to Rovey, so rounding things up, she was one of his people too! A member of the El-Melloi Faction!

The logic made perfect sense!!

Her successor would be Rovey, and Rovey's successor would be this little girl, directly forming a continuous line.

Three generations of family heads with top-tier aptitude could fully ensure the El-Melloi Faction's resurgence for several hundred years!

Thus, in front of Weber, he could be said to have completely changed his manner and directly treated this little girl he had just met as an elder would.

He not only gave her a huge pile of precious gemstones and Mystic Codes that would make even Tokiomi Tohsaka jealous, but also explicitly told Rovey that once he returned, he was to bring Sakura along to study under him.

Rovey, this grown-up model, was nearly beyond saving. This time, he would personally cultivate another genius heir from scratch!!

In short, Kenneth was truly in high spirits right now. Even the anger the two fools had provoked earlier had vanished completely. A wonderful future surely awaited him.

Seeing Kenneth ahead of him, looking like an old general on an opera stage, Weber did not know what to say for a moment and could only sigh silently in his heart.

After all, unlike Kenneth, who remained extremely optimistic thus far, Weber already knew Professor Kenneth's fate in other World Lines.