Starting in Type-Moon, with Adopting Sakura

There was another possibility: treating the two pairs of sisters as exceptionally excellent breeding stock and, once they grew up, attempting to cultivate even more outstanding mage bloodlines.

Neither possibility was remotely acceptable to Tokiomi Tohsaka, so he had not told anyone in the Clock Tower about his daughters' circumstances.

Though he did not know much about the Wandering Sea or the Atlas Institute, neither place had a reputation any better than the Clock Tower. If they fell into those people's hands, they would most likely end up exactly as Rovey predicted: experimental material for madmen, used to the fullest extent possible.

In the original World Line, it was precisely for these reasons that Tokiomi Tohsaka, left with nowhere to retreat and no solution at all, could only place his hopes on the other Mage Families.

At that time, the Matou Family, which stood on the verge of extinction due to its disappointing descendants, was undoubtedly the best choice—and a blessing that could resolve Sakura Tohsaka's predicament.

All Rovey could say was that Tokiomi Tohsaka's line of thinking had been correct.

With the Mage's Association utterly untrustworthy, there was nothing wrong with the idea of giving his daughter up for adoption and handing her over to another mage household for training, using that as a stepping stone into the realm of Mystery.

But Tokiomi Tohsaka had erred in trusting the wrong people. He had failed to see their true faces and hastily gave his daughter away.

The wonderful place he believed he had found for his daughter would become a miserable den of hell that haunted her for the rest of her life.

Though Tokiomi Tohsaka could be said to have done harm with good intentions, Rovey still considered him an incompetent father.

Indeed, the Tohsaka Family had only one Magic Crest, and Sakura Tohsaka's constitution meant she could never live as an ordinary person.

But had the man truly never considered starting from scratch? Passing the Crest to his elder daughter, then guiding and teaching the younger one, raising her as a first-generation Magus and helping her protect herself.

Had he never thought of that?

Heh. Even Rovey, an outsider, could think of such a solution. As her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka had naturally thought of it as well.

But he had not accepted it, nor had he been willing to.

The reason was simple: he could never let go of Sakura Tohsaka's extraordinary talent.

How arduous was the training and advancement of a first-generation Magus? How difficult was it? Even with Sakura Tohsaka's exceptional gifts, she might not achieve anything substantial.

After all, what mattered most to a Magus was accumulation and inheritance, while the hardest thing was creation. Like breakthroughs in science, the gap between going from one to two and going from zero to one was worlds apart.

If Sakura Tohsaka developed as a first-generation Magus, then no matter how outstanding her talent was, her constitution and abilities might be wasted for nothing. She might never wield true grand magecraft in her life or accomplish much on the path toward truth.

Compared to his daughter's happiness, what Tokiomi Tohsaka truly valued more was the talent that had inherited his bloodline.

He did love his daughter, but he valued magecraft even more.

That was one reason Rovey disliked the man. Compared to other Magi, he at least looked somewhat like a normal person—but only somewhat.

A Magus was still a Magus, a fundamentally twisted existence. Judging by personality alone, people like himself and his junior were the true oddities. Compared to these people, even that somewhat sharp-tongued teacher seemed far more noble in character.

However, it was precisely because Rovey had grasped Tokiomi Tohsaka's greater concern for magecraft inheritance that he could come prepared and personally discuss adoption. If Tokiomi Tohsaka valued family affection above magecraft, things would undoubtedly have become troublesome.

And everything about the other party had clearly unfolded within his expectations.

"..."

In the end, several minutes after Rovey finished delivering the words he had prepared beforehand, Tokiomi Tohsaka—who had originally stood ready for battle—lowered his head and pondered for several minutes. Then, he slowly loosened the hand gripping his jeweled cane, and a sincere smile appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Rovey met his gaze and smiled as well.

He knew very clearly that this meant the matter was almost settled.

At last, he decided to add one more push and seal the deal.

"Tohsaka Patriarch, I believe you are aware of the Crowley Family's current circumstances?" Rovey asked.

"Of course. After all, the Crowley Family is one of the upper-class magecraft aristocratic families within the Clock Tower."

Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded, then described what he knew of Rovey's family.

"A family of six generations of Magi, with considerable achievements in the field of Alchemy. It is also one of the few families outside the Atlas Institute to possess an independent Alchemy inheritance. It even possesses a Ley Line belonging exclusively to its family in the southern outskirts of London, as well as its own research chamber in the Clock Tower. It is a true magecraft aristocratic house."

As a Magus who frequently visited the Clock Tower, Tokiomi Tohsaka naturally knew the distribution of its various aristocratic powers very well.

This naturally included the somewhat renowned Crowley Family.

Though its inheritance was not especially long—even with Rovey, it had only reached six generations, merely one generation more than the Tohsaka Family—its origins and accomplishments in Alchemy were absolutely not to be underestimated.

Unlike those ancient Mage Families, this family had risen during the Renaissance. That was why its inheritance seemed somewhat weak, but Tokiomi Tohsaka knew that was only an illusion.

This family had been born in response to the age and seized its opportunities. In that era when science and chemistry were beginning to flourish, it connected mysticism with chemistry. It then skipped several generations of accumulation and, by its second generation, deduced the prototype of its own Alchemy system as its inherited magecraft.

What an unbelievable feat that was.

Afterward, the family rapidly developed and achieved tremendous success in the Magecraft World through its inheritance of Alchemy Magecraft. Even the Clock Tower's aristocrats, who had always prized ancient lineage above all else and were extremely exclusionary, accepted the family after it offered the appropriate knowledge and inheritance, allowing it to become one of their Western European noble houses.

Many of the alchemical materials currently used by the Clock Tower came from this family. Its influence could not be called small.

Though it had appeared somewhat faded in recent years due to the sudden deaths of the previous heads, a starving camel was still larger than a horse. Tokiomi Tohsaka would never underestimate the Crowley Family because of that.

Not long ago, the Matou Patriarch, Zouken Matou, had also visited and expressed his desire to adopt one of his daughters.

The Matou and Tohsaka Families were both among the Three Families of the Holy Grail War, so Tokiomi Tohsaka knew them fairly well. In his understanding, the Matou Family was renowned for its Thaumaturgy of Command involving familiars and the water element. Even the Command Seal System, one of the systems of the Holy Grail War, had originated with the Matou Family.

However, it was ultimately only a mage family from the Far East. Compared with the aristocratic magecraft houses of the Clock Tower, it seemed somewhat inferior. Moreover, compared to water-element Thaumaturgy of Command, Sakura's Imaginary Numbers Constitution was clearly more suited to the Crowley Family's Alchemy Magecraft, offering more choices and broader prospects.

Viewed this way, giving Sakura up for adoption to the Crowley Family did indeed seem like a good choice.

Tokiomi Tohsaka still clearly remembered having exchanged words with the family's two heads at an academic gathering in the Clock Tower. The magecraft cultivation displayed by those two heads had earned even his admiration.

Yet not long after that meeting, he heard that the two heads had tragically died. The Crowley Family had passed into the hands of the next generation—namely, the young man in his early twenties before him, Rovey Crowley.

Although this young man had some reputation in the Clock Tower, and Tokiomi knew he seemed to have studied under a certain Lord, that did not mean Rovey's circumstances were necessarily good.

In the world of Magi, a mere master-disciple relationship was clearly not the most reliable thing. It would have been different if the Crowley Family remained intact, but now...

He did not believe a Lord of the Clock Tower could turn a blind eye to the Alchemy system inheritance laid out before him. While protecting Rovey, that Lord was likely also trying every possible means to extend his reach into the family. Perhaps Rovey was so eager to find a gifted heir because he wished to avoid seeing his family gradually devoured and occupied by others, hoping to break the current situation through the next generation.

And in terms of talent alone, his daughter was the most suitable for that role.

"I never expected the Tohsaka Patriarch to know my family so well. I am truly flattered."

Seeing Tokiomi Tohsaka lay out his family's circumstances, Rovey made a few polite remarks before stating his thoughts.

"Because the previous two heads tragically passed away, I, who inherited Crowley blood, could only take up responsibility for this family in a time of crisis."

"To be ashamed before you, Tohsaka Patriarch, my talent is passable enough, but I understand nothing of running and managing a family. In that regard, the Tohsaka Patriarch is far superior to me."

While making himself sound pitiful, Rovey did not forget to flatter Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"Not at all. Compared to accomplishments in magecraft, mundane management amounts to nothing."

"Due to certain changes, the family has visibly weakened in my generation. That is why I have come to visit, hoping to adopt your esteemed daughter."

"I can still hold things together in this generation, but whether the family can return to its peak remains unknown. So rather than an heir whose aptitude I cannot know, I hope the Crowley Family's Magic Crest will be inherited by a true genius of ability—someone who can carry the Crowley name onward toward The Root. As a Magus, I believe you can understand that as well?"

Rovey's tone was sincere, and his eyes were filled with determination.

At this moment, he had said every line he had prepared to Tokiomi Tohsaka. What happened next could only depend on the other man's choice.

However, he knew very well that Tokiomi Tohsaka could not possibly refuse the conditions and reasons he had offered.

Magi were all absolutely rational—or rather, self-centered, selfish, and extreme people.

As long as he laid his pursuit of The Root plainly on the table as his goal, then presented his value and resources one by one, the other party would weigh the pros and cons.

Even the destitute Matou Family in the original World Line had been able to adopt her. The bargaining chips in his hands naturally carried even more weight.

Before coming here, Rovey had already been ninety percent certain this would succeed. He trusted Tokiomi Tohsaka's rationality and obsession far too much.

In a Magus's worldview, what were children?

They were descendants who inherited one's bloodline, could carry on the family mission, and pursue The Root.

What was happiness?

It was having children who carried one's blood step onto the path of magecraft and travel ever farther down the road of pursuing The Root and touching truth.

Even if one day they might slaughter each other because of opposing positions, that would still be a kind of happiness.

Tokiomi Tohsaka hoped to obtain that happiness, and he hoped even more that his two daughters could each shine in their own fields of magecraft and savor that happiness.

Thus, what he should do as a father was not give them stable lives, but give them a stage upon which they could display their talents.

Though Rovey found such a sick mentality difficult to understand, he had long since become accustomed to it. It was merely the traditional mindset of families with magecraft inheritances; he had seen far too much of it at the Clock Tower.

Even the original Crowley Family had been the same.

So he had no intention of playing the righteous hero or a good Samaritan and correcting Tokiomi Tohsaka's mentality. He knew medicine was useless for someone already so deeply ill. It was better to make proper use of that fact and do something more valuable for himself.

"What is your decision, Tohsaka Patriarch?"

Rovey raised a finger and lightly tapped the table before him as he asked.

Now that matters had reached this point, Tokiomi Tohsaka could feel Rovey's sincerity and naturally had no reason to refuse.

"What an enticing proposal, Mr. Crowley. Since you are being so generous, as Sakura's father, I am sincerely happy for her."

"However, to be safe, I still need Mr. Crowley to establish a Self-Geas Scroll here and swear in the name of his family that Sakura will be chosen as the heir, and that she will inherit the Magic Crest and magecraft assets of the Crowley Family in the future. In return, I am willing to sign a Magic Contract declaring that the Tohsaka Family and Sakura will sever all ties completely. We will not contact her of our own initiative in the future, nor will we ever use this blood relationship to do anything harmful to the Crowley Family."

"What do you think?" Tokiomi Tohsaka asked after careful consideration.

On such an important matter as giving his daughter up for adoption, he naturally would not be careless.

Magi were all extremely self-centered and fickle. Their words could not be trusted. As long as Tokiomi Tohsaka was not foolish, he would not believe Rovey's words alone.

In a matter this significant, only a Self-Geas Scroll could provide the strongest guarantee.

A Magic Contract was similar to an agreement. Both Magi wrote its terms onto a magical scroll and signed it together, producing a binding effect.

What Tokiomi Tohsaka proposed, however, was a more binding Self-Geas Scroll. The so-called "Self-Geas Document" was essentially a sorcerous contract used by Magi when forming an agreement that absolutely could not be broken—a most absolute guarantee intended to prevent breach of contract.

The contract used parchment as its medium, and its contents included the binding spell, the bound target, the formal terms of the oath, the conditions for fulfilling the oath, and the oath takers' signatures.

Both sides used the functions of their own Magic Crests to impose the spell of "Geas" upon the caster themself. In principle, its effect could not be removed by any means.

Once a Magus signed the document and fulfilled the conditions that activated the oath, even if the oath taker died, so long as the Magic Crest was inherited by the next generation, even the soul after death would remain bound.

If he signed this contract, it would mean Rovey's attitude was serious, and Tokiomi Tohsaka would have no further objections.

"Of course. That is perfectly reasonable."

Rovey smiled faintly and agreed to Tokiomi Tohsaka's request with complete naturalness.

At that, Tokiomi Tohsaka inwardly let out a long breath. Though he still felt somewhat melancholy, it was quickly replaced by the satisfaction that followed, and a smile appeared on his face.

"It is wonderful to have your understanding."

"Of course. This is not something to be careless about."

Rovey nodded at that.

Once he saw Tokiomi Tohsaka finally put at ease, he too felt at ease.

Thus, his first objective in the Far East had been successfully completed.

I hope the rest goes as smoothly as today.

Obtaining True Happiness

###

—Every gift bestowed by heaven has its price secretly marked.

"Good, the contract has been drafted. Tohsaka Patriarch, please inspect it."

"If there are no issues, we may sign our names."

Because he had prepared beforehand, Rovey moved very quickly. Within a little over ten minutes after Tokiomi Tohsaka brought out the parchment, he had drafted the necessary Magic Contract.

Then Rovey pushed the parchment scroll covered in densely written Latin, penned in liquid mercury, before Tokiomi Tohsaka and reminded him that he could now inspect and sign it.

"Very well."

Seeing how swiftly Rovey moved, Tokiomi Tohsaka could not help feeling somewhat surprised. But when he considered that the other party had come prepared, he found nothing strange about it.

Picking up the parchment scroll, Tokiomi Tohsaka's gaze swept continuously across it as he carefully examined the Magic Contract composed of countless densely packed lines of Latin.

Among Magi, French or Latin was generally used as the standard language for drafting Magic Contracts.

This was because the languages of the Far East, as well as English, contained many ambiguities in meaning and grammar. Writing a contract in either of those languages would undoubtedly leave many loopholes that others could exploit.

French and Latin were more rigorous, making them more suitable. For certain historical reasons, magecraft aristocrats used Latin more often than French, perhaps because it better displayed their status and refinement.

To completely reassure Tokiomi Tohsaka and avoid unnecessary trouble later, Rovey had, before coming here, asked an old family butler skilled in Latin to teach him how to write a contract template in Latin for use at this time.

As for whether Tokiomi Tohsaka could understand Latin, he had even less reason to worry.

After all, Tokiomi Tohsaka was a magecraft aristocrat and placed particular value on that noble status. Since that was the case, how could he possibly fail to understand the Latin commonly used by old aristocratic houses? He had probably mastered it long ago.