Fu Yuan looked at Matou Sakura, who was smiling sweetly at him, then turned to Tohsaka Tokiomi. "I learned about Little Sakura from Little Rin. Would it be all right if I saw Little Sakura off? After all, she's called me 'big brother' for months."
"This—"
Tohsaka Tokiomi had originally intended to refuse Fu Yuan's request outright. After all, he was merely an irrelevant outsider. But then he saw Matou Sakura looking at him with a pitiful expression.
What little humanity Tohsaka Tokiomi had left was touched by Matou Sakura's pitiful look, and he nodded. "Very well. Then, Matou patriarch, if you do not mind, let him see you off."
"I do not mind," Matou Zouken replied.
Matou Zouken truly did not care. All he cared about was whether he could obtain Matou Sakura smoothly.
Fu Yuan glanced at the indifferent Matou Zouken, then looked at Matou Sakura. With a faint smile, he said, "Then, Little Sakura, I'll take you to the Matou family."
"Yes, thank you, Big Brother Fu Yuan." Matou Sakura gave Fu Yuan a broad smile.
This was Matou Sakura's real smile. Before Tohsaka Tokiomi handed her over to the Matou family, she had been an adorable child who loved to smile.
Now, Matou Sakura was no longer so frightened and lost, because she was not alone.
If Fu Yuan was by her side, then she would not have to follow that eerie, frightening old man all by herself.
Then Matou Sakura took the initiative to hold Fu Yuan's hand. The little girl's palm was soft; "bonelessly tender" was the perfect description for it.
Fu Yuan looked at Matou Sakura holding his hand, and she gave him a shy, adorable smile when she saw him looking back at her.
His gaze softening, Fu Yuan used his free hand to stroke Matou Sakura's silky black hair.
Seriously... how could anyone just give away such an adorable daughter? Tohsaka Tokiomi really was an unfit father.
Although Fu Yuan, as a transmigrator, knew Tohsaka Tokiomi's difficulties and knew that he had no idea how Matou Zouken would treat Matou Sakura...
But!
Understanding was one thing!
Accepting it was another!
In short, this was Tohsaka Tokiomi's fault, so hurry up and take the blame!
"Let's go. Do not waste time. My 'family' is waiting at home for me to bring Little Sakura back," Matou Zouken said to Fu Yuan and Matou Sakura.
"Then travel safely, Matou patriarch. Tokiomi will not see you off."
"Very well."
Tohsaka Tokiomi stood at the entrance to his home, watching Fu Yuan lead Matou Sakura away behind Matou Zouken. From the complicated look in his eyes, it seemed that he was reluctant to see his daughter leave.
A Former Ally of Justice
Tohsaka Tokiomi watched Fu Yuan's group depart and let out a deep sigh.
"Alas... it is all my fault for being useless. If the Tohma Family were as formidable as Finland's Edelfelt family, I would not have to worry about lacking the means to raise two heirs."
Edelfelt was the name of a mage family and a distant relative of the Tohma Family. If Tohsaka Tokiomi had the ability to strengthen the Tohma Family, he would have been able to teach and protect both of his outstanding daughters.
Unfortunately, Tohsaka Tokiomi did not have that ability. Even after exhausting all his efforts, he could only raise one heir.
Originally, Tohsaka Tokiomi had planned to send his second daughter, Tohsaka Sakura, to Finland's Edelfelt family.
That family was not only a distant relative of the Tohma Family, but also a major family of Jewel Magic.
The Edelfelt family had risen to prominence during the Renaissance. They loved meddling in all manner of conflicts around the world before snatching away the treasures of magecraft, earning them the nickname "the most elegant hyenas in the world."
Therefore, Tohsaka Tokiomi believed that after his second daughter, with her exceptional Mage Circuits, arrived in that family, she would surely be protected like a priceless treasure.
Yet Tohsaka Tokiomi chose to hand Matou Sakura over to the Matou family.
Several reasons led Tohsaka Tokiomi to make this decision.
First, Matou Zouken had repeatedly asked Tohsaka Tokiomi to let him adopt one of his children.
Second, Tohsaka Tokiomi knew that the Matou family's descendant was an ordinary person who did not even possess Mage Circuits.
To become a mage, one had to possess the basic Mage Circuits.
It was like needing a license plate to drive a car... no, needing gasoline.
Without gasoline [Mage Circuits], one could not start the car [become a mage].
Since the Matou family's descendant could not become a mage, he naturally could not inherit the Matou family's Magic Crest or magical foundation.
If Tohsaka Tokiomi handed Matou Sakura over at this time, then with her forty primary Mage Circuits and thirty auxiliary circuits, she would certainly inherit everything the Matou family possessed in the future.
Third, it was related to the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War.
Because Matou Zouken wanted to adopt a child, Tohsaka Tokiomi took the opportunity to make a demand: the Matou family and the Tohma Family would form an alliance and join forces to eliminate the other Masters participating in the Holy Grail War.
These three reasons were why Tohsaka Tokiomi did not send Matou Sakura to Finland's Edelfelt family, but instead chose to hand her over to the Matou family.
Tohsaka Tokiomi's plan was good, even excellent. He believed that handing Matou Sakura over to the Matou family would allow her to obtain everything the Matou family possessed, while he could also ally with the Matou family in the Holy Grail War.
But unfortunately, regrettably...
Matou Zouken had never intended to raise Matou Sakura. He merely wanted to turn her into a host for the Magic Crest Worms containing his original Magic Crest. And after obtaining Matou Sakura, Matou Zouken even intended to abandon the Fourth Holy Grail War and focus on preparing for the Fifth Holy Grail War.
So... all of Tohsaka Tokiomi's plans and calculations were doomed to collapse.
Neither his plan for Matou Sakura to inherit the Matou family nor his idea of allying with them could ever come to pass. Worse still... he would lose his own flesh and blood.
The three of them walked along the street. Since they were on the undeveloped right bank of Fuyuki City's Miyou River, the scenery was beautiful, but there were few pedestrians.
On this quiet, secluded street, Fu Yuan held Matou Sakura's bonelessly soft little hand and calmly watched the hunched Matou Zouken walking ahead of them.
Fu Yuan, who cultivated true qi, could sense a great deal of information from the gaunt Matou Zouken ahead of him.
An ordinary person would normally possess only one life aura, but... under Fu Yuan's senses, he discovered that Matou Zouken's body contained many murky, impure life auras.
It was as though Matou Zouken was not a single living being, but something composed of many living beings.
How could a person possibly be composed of many living beings?
There really was such a person.
Matou Zouken was one. He was a great mage who had lingered on for five hundred years.
Over those five hundred years, Matou Zouken's body had long since decayed like rotten wood. The Matou Zouken standing before Fu Yuan and Matou Sakura now was merely one of his clones.
Before you continue