Someone in Type-Moon, Starting with Adopting Sakura

He himself didn't even know what the wish in his heart truly was.

"You're right, Kotomine. It's too early to wallow in self-pity. Even a god-slayer might not be able to defeat the invincible King of Heroes."

Hearing Kirei Kotomine's words, Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded gently, then carefully recalled the situation at the time.

"The Servant of the Einzbern family is King Arthur, under the Saber class. That brat from the Clock Tower is Rider, the King of Conquerors. According to the intel, the god-slayer Fionn mac Cumhaill is likely that lord from the Mineralogy Department who came from afar. As for the illegally summoned Queen of the Mystic Lands, Scáthach... Hmph, she's probably with the Matou Family."

"After all, besides the Matou Family, who are intimately familiar with the rules and secrets of the Holy Grail War, no other magus could so easily summon and command the Queen of the Land of Shadows. Perhaps he might even have a Caster hidden up his sleeve right now."

Tokiomi Tohsaka let out a cold snort, then immediately turned his attention to the Matou Family, with whom he hadn't communicated in a long time, and listed them as his primary concern in this Holy Grail War.

"...That's quite possible. Because according to the information Assassin recently provided, there was an abnormal magical energy reaction at the Matou Family's residence not long ago, which might be related to this."

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

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

"...It must be the Matou Family causing trouble... A god-slayer and a Caster, truly troublesome opponents. However, given the circumstances, I have a proposal."

After thinking for a moment, Tokiomi Tohsaka spoke to him.

"Please, Teacher."

Kirei Kotomine nodded slightly, awaiting Tokiomi Tohsaka's instructions.

"An alliance... How about it?"

He stated it directly.

"...An alliance?"

Upon hearing this, Kirei Kotomine was taken aback, but he quickly understood Tokiomi Tohsaka's intentions.

After all, anyone could see that two Lancers appearing in a Holy Grail War was not right. It was most likely that the Caster, who had yet to reveal themselves, was the one causing trouble from the shadows. One must know that the longer an enemy like Caster is allowed to linger, the harder they are to deal with, and their unpredictability is the most difficult to measure.

What's more, they could directly bypass everyone and act against the Greater Holy Grail.

While one was fighting tooth and nail, someone else was secretly making a move on the prize – no one would be able to tolerate such a thing, right? Moreover, that Caster had already illegally summoned Lancer, Scáthach, not long ago.

In such a short period, the opponent was able to summon the Queen of the Land of Shadows, and her threat was already self-evident. If they were given more time and summoned a few more exceptional Servants, then there would be no point in continuing the fight.

Therefore, Tokiomi Tohsaka planned to end things quickly by uniting with the other Masters to deal with this major threat.

As for the choice of allies...

He believed that the Einzbern family, who had already suffered a defeat in the port battle last night, would be even more anxious than he was. They would definitely agree to this win-win plan.

With this thought, Tokiomi Tohsaka's previously worried heart gradually calmed down.

"May my ancestor Nagato bless me. No matter what, I must achieve victory in this Holy Grail War and personally fulfill my family's long-cherished wish."

He murmured softly, then raised his gaze to look out the window, his eyes growing more determined.

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

"The victory in this Holy Grail War will only belong to me. For that, I am willing to pay with my life, even if I fall on the path of truth..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka murmured softly, clasping his hands and praying to his ancestors for protection.

As his prayers grew softer, the figures of his two daughters involuntarily appeared before his eyes.

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

And Sakura...

How are you doing right now? I believe that after embarking on the path of magic, you will surely find true happiness and joy.

You will, won't you?

Chapter 45: Teacher and Student (5K words)

"Do you like it?"

"If it's not enough, I have plenty more at my place. If you want some, you can come get it anytime."

A sharp and sarcastic familiar voice had, for once, changed its tune to one of gentleness.

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

"Uncle... That's not bad either."

A somewhat timid little girl replied this way, sitting in a luxurious room.

Across from her, a certain blonde with lemon-like hair was almost melting. He looked at the little girl in front of him as if she were a rare treasure, his eyes filled with admiration.

He sat by the bed, speaking softly to the little girl, and didn't forget to tell her about their relationship.

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

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

To Kenneth, who was still rambling on about his own greatness, Sakura Tohsaka merely nodded silently. Being so young, she couldn't understand what this lemon-haired uncle, a lord of the Clock Tower and a figure of the El-Melloi Faction's glory, was talking about.

She only heard her brother Rovey say that it was a place for learning.

In the future, she and her sister would likely go there to study.

So, is the Clock Tower a new kindergarten? And is this lemon-haired uncle her teacher...

"Um, Rovey... is Teacher Kenneth really okay in this state?"

Weber, on the other side, was seeing Kenneth like this for the first time, so his expression was clearly one of extreme surprise, even discomfort.

It was hard to imagine that the sharp-tongued Teacher Kenneth would ever show such a gentle expression, and to a little girl he had just met. Did Teacher Kenneth like children?

But the truth was, of course, not as simple as it appeared on the surface...

As Kenneth, a scion of an old noble mage family, was naturally not the shallow and incompetent type to value mere appearances.

What he valued was not the vulgar and meaningless appearance of Sakura Tohsaka; what he cherished was her unique magical talent!!

Imaginary Numbers Constitution, and this unparalleled root bone, her aptitude was simply incredible...

Without exaggeration, judging solely by her stats, this little girl was even more talented than he was, truly a treasure of the magical world! It was hard to imagine such a miracle appearing before him so vibrantly, how could Kenneth not be excited?

With talent comparable to the Age of Gods, if guided properly, she would undoubtedly become a monarch-level magus in the future.

For a genius like Sakura Tohsaka, even Kenneth, with his discerning eye, gave her the highest praise, his gaze towards her revealing unparalleled satisfaction.

"Ahem, Teacher Kenneth, it's our first meeting, no need to get so excited. You'll scare Sakura with all this enthusiasm."

Finally, at Rovey's reminder, and under Sakura Tohsaka's somewhat timid gaze, he reluctantly withdrew his eyes.

Indeed, when dealing with such a treasure, such a genius, one cannot be too excited or too forceful; one must treat them with the indulgence and care one would show a lover...

This would establish his good image as an elder.

Kenneth felt disdain for Weber's whispered comments; this mediocre talent hadn't even grasped the essence of the matter.

"Hmph, Weber, what do you, this useless fellow, understand?"

"Do you know what kind of astonishing talent and aptitude this young girl possesses? Without exaggeration, she has the potential to achieve what Barthomeloi did in the future!"

As soon as his gaze left Sakura Tohsaka, Kenneth's attitude immediately reverted to its previous state, and he began lecturing Weber.

"Forget it, it's hard for a mediocre talent like you to comprehend this miracle... However, participating in this Holy Grail War was truly a stroke of luck, to gain such a treasure. Isn't this more valuable than that so-called fake Holy Grail?"

"Hmph hmph, I can already foresee the future rise of the El-Melloi Faction!"

Kenneth, in high spirits, had no intention of holding a grudge against Weber; his mind was filled with the scene of the El-Melloi family's rise after Rovey's marriage.

The Crowley Family would not only merge with El-Melloi and become inseparable but also gain two geniuses: Rovey, who had a high chance of achieving Grand status in the future, and this prodigy with the Imaginary Numbers Constitution. With him presiding, it was highly possible to achieve the feat of three Grands. If that happened, the El-Melloi Faction's influence within the Clock Tower would undoubtedly reach a new level.

"Huh? Teacher Kenneth, it's one thing to be always thinking about me, but you're even thinking about the little girl I just adopted? You even want to take her with you..."

Rovey felt a bit helpless hearing Kenneth's undisguised ambition.

"Hmph, you brat, you wish."

"Besides me, who else do you think is qualified to educate such a genius? You? Or that mediocre fellow Weber?"

Kenneth snorted dismissively, once again hurting the innocent Weber.

Rovey felt a little helpless about this.

He had indeed brought Sakura Tohsaka with the intention of pleasing Kenneth, as geniuses cherished geniuses the most, especially their own. Therefore, Kenneth naturally doted on this junior who was destined to join the El-Melloi Faction.

However, more importantly, the purification ritual on his side had already begun, filtering magic power from the corrupted Holy Grail and the ley lines of Fuyuki City to condense it.

The magical energy in that area was rapidly increasing, and the ether concentration was almost returning to the Age of Gods. It was clearly not suitable for a little girl like Sakura Tohsaka to remain in such a harsh environment. And Aozaki Touko was still in the basement discussing the mysteries of the human body with Irisviel and had no time to look after her.

As for Scáthach? Forget about her. With her personality and methods, Rovey would be thankful if she didn't cause trouble. Asking her to take care of a little girl was less likely than hoping Gilgamesh would babysit.

However, Rovey would obviously not do something as foolish as hiding Sakura Tohsaka in some corner of Fuyuki City only for someone to stumble upon her and steal her away. So, he simply brought Sakura Tohsaka with him for the time being.

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

Initially, upon hearing that he had brought a little girl, Kenneth, the owner of the workshop, was dismissive.

He believed that a genius like Rovey, instead of focusing on researching magic, adopting a little girl was clearly going against the proper path. He didn't remember teaching Rovey to degenerate like those lower nobles who kept children!

But he didn't say much. Anyway, he had so many floors in his hands, he didn't lack space for a little girl, as long as she didn't bother him.

And the result was...

When Rovey actually brought Sakura Tohsaka over, Kenneth cast a powerful amnesia spell on himself, naturally forgetting his previous dismissive attitude. His stance then made a 180-degree turn, and he put on the scene before Rovey and Weber.

It could be said that from the moment he saw Sakura Tohsaka, his eyes were glued to her, and his gaze never left her.

Moreover, Kenneth did not forget to interrogate Rovey afterward, constantly asking: "Is this your adopted daughter? Where did you find a girl with such talent?" and other similar questions.

To which Rovey merely gave a fabricated reason.

He said that when he came to Fuyuki City, he visited the Tohsaka residence, and it was there he met Sakura Tohsaka. At that time, Tokiomi Tohsaka was worried about the inheritance of his magecraft, as he couldn't train two successors simultaneously, so he took in the girl.

After all, Mystic Codes were never a problem for his family; whether it was remaking them with alchemy or splitting them, it could be done easily. Training a girl with such outstanding talent was not an issue at all.

On the contrary, he had made a great profit by stably acquiring such a successor.

Upon hearing this, Kenneth could no longer hold back.

First, he marveled at and envied Rovey's good fortune; then, he began to criticize Tokiomi Tohsaka's actions, calling him incompetent for giving away such a treasure due to issues with Mystic Codes.

Then, thinking that there were two such treasures, he was overcome by greed and directly planned to attack the Tohsaka residence with Rovey and Weber, making the Golden Heroic Spirit the first target, and incidentally capturing the other magical prodigy, Rin Tohsaka!!

Rovey and Weber naturally shook their heads like rattles at Teacher Kenneth's plan to forcibly abduct young girls.

They could never do something like attacking someone's home just to kidnap their daughter...

Rovey was also very aware of Gilgamesh's strength in this Holy Grail War. Although Mr. Gilgamesh was an obstacle he had to overcome in this Holy Grail War, now was definitely not the time to defeat him, so he decisively stopped Kenneth's absurd idea.

He had to prioritize the bigger picture, the bigger picture...

It wasn't just Rovey; even Fionn felt that making the King of Heroes the first target for elimination was inappropriate. He quickly spoke up to dissuade Kenneth from this unrealistic idea.

"..."

After calming down for a moment, Kenneth gradually realized that snatching someone else's daughter was indeed somewhat improper.

He was a Lord, not a bandit.

Moreover, although the Tohsaka Family's lineage wasn't particularly long, its ancestor, Nagato Tohsaka, was a disciple of the Jewel Magician. This gave Tokiomi Tohsaka a certain reputation at the Clock Tower. Tokiomi Tohsaka also leaned towards aristocratic principles, making him something of a kindred spirit. If he truly did something like this and it got out, the reputation of aristocratic principles would undoubtedly be damaged, and the proponents of democracy would use it to their advantage.

Weighing the pros and cons, Kenneth reluctantly abandoned the tempting idea and decided to focus on getting through the current Holy Grail War first.

However, in his heart, he had already naturally considered Sakura as part of his own family.

Since Rovey was definitely going to marry into his family, and Sakura Tohsaka was Rovey's person, then by extension, she was his person! A member of the El-Melloi Faction!

This logic made perfect sense!!

Then, her successor would be Rovey, and Rovey's successor would be this young girl, directly forming a lineage.

Three generations of top-tier family heads would be enough to guarantee the revival of the El-Melloi Faction for hundreds of years!

Therefore, in front of Weber, he completely changed his usual demeanor and treated the little girl he had just met as a senior would.

He gave her a large number of precious gems and magic crests that even Tokiomi Tohsaka would envy, and he specifically requested that Rovey bring Sakura to study with him after returning.

Rovey's main account was almost ruined; this time, he wanted to personally cultivate another genius successor!!

All in all, he was in a very good mood at this moment. Even the anger caused by those two scoundrels had vanished, and a bright future surely awaited him.

Seeing Kenneth ahead, looking like an old general on a stage, Weber behind him didn't know what to say for a moment and could only sigh inwardly.

After all, unlike Kenneth, who remained very optimistic up to this point, he already knew Kenneth's fate in other timelines.