Moon-Type Card Servant

Yes, Gilgamesh used the King's Treasure to bombard the area with Noble Phantasms because it consumed very little magic.

However, Mikaela couldn't do that. After transforming into Gilgamesh, if he were to use the King's Treasure once, expending a large amount of magic to create dozens of Noble Phantasms as disposable items, the magic consumption... Emiya Kiritsugu would probably be turned into a mummy.

(③④②⑨⑥⑦④⑥⑤)

Dozens of Noble Phantasms alone were terrifying, let alone Gilgamesh's trump card, the Sword of Rupture!

"..." Looking at Irisviel, Mikaela felt a sense of helplessness and sighed, "That power doesn't belong to me. It belongs to someone else. Even if I use it, I'm only fully unleashing 'someone else's' power."

"But even so, you're still very strong." Irisviel smiled mischievously, then stood up. It would be dark in a few hours, so they needed to hurry back.

"Strong?" Mikaela gave a self-deprecating laugh. If he were truly strong, why would he be participating in the Holy Grail War?

However, Mikaela wouldn't dwell on the past. He followed Irisviel as they walked out of the cafe.

"!!!!"

Suddenly, Mikaela stopped Irisviel, shielding her behind him. A card appeared in his hand, and he stared intently at the blonde youth standing at the entrance.

Gilgamesh, dressed in casual clothes, looked calmly at Mikaela. He seemed to have seen something, a strange smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He spoke, "Clown, do your best to struggle."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gilgamesh dissolved into golden particles and vanished from his spot.

It was as if he had come just to see Mikaela.

My wife!.jpg

PS: "Don't throw any more recommendation tickets. I really can't update anymore. I have to go update my old book."

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Clown

"Father."

Inside the church, Kotomine Kirei looked at his elderly father and said calmly, "My master sent word that the Einzbern family strongly suspects us of foul play, hiding a Master who possesses a Servant."

"Oh? And what did the head of the Tohno family say?" Risei Kotomine smiled at his son, who showed no panic whatsoever.

The Church and the Tohno family had always had a good relationship. Otherwise, the Church wouldn't have agreed to let a 'Proxy' join a family of magi and undergo magical training.

Furthermore, Risei Kotomine and Tohno Shiro's father were close friends. In this generation, Tohno Shiro treated his son with great affection, trusting him no less than he himself wished to assist him in winning this Holy Grail War.

"He will resolve everything. However, Assassin must remain hidden and not be discovered by the Einzbern's Servant, otherwise, he will also be put in a passive position."

Kotomine Kirei's expression remained calm. He now knew that his master had not gone to meet Emiya Kiritsugu, but had gone to meet the Servant who arrived last night and the homunculus of the Einzbern family.

This made him feel relieved, yet also somewhat confused. Why did he feel relieved? He hadn't even met Emiya Kiritsugu, only obtained information about him.

But whenever he thought about him, he always felt a strange restlessness, a desire to understand him, to know why he was participating in the Holy Grail War, and to ask him later! What was his wish?

What did he want to ask the Holy Grail for?!

"Hoo." Feeling his thoughts in disarray, Kotomine Kirei took a deep breath, a trickle of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

While thinking about Emiya Kiritsugu, he had unknowingly finished his conversation with his father. He was now walking towards his room. As soon as he opened the door, Kotomine Kirei froze.

His room, which he had tidied up that morning, was now somewhat messy, with countless empty wine bottles scattered on the floor.

The cabinet where he stored his wine had been forcibly pried open, and the lock was nowhere to be found.

"..." Kotomine Kirei looked at the blonde youth lying on the sofa and said with a somewhat indifferent tone, "Archer, why have you come to my place instead of staying with Master?"

"Although your room is smaller than Shiro's, its quality is much higher. As a disciple, you are truly disrespectful." Gilgamesh smiled, swirling the glass of red wine in his hand, and looked at Kotomine Kirei, saying with a smile, "However, I am in a good mood today, so I will not hold you accountable for now."

Kotomine Kirei, who had silently started picking up the wine bottles, suddenly stopped when he heard Gilgamesh's words. He looked at Gilgamesh and asked calmly, "If I recall correctly, you were supposed to meet the Einzbern's Master and Servant with Master today."

"Shiro went to meet them alone. I merely happened to see that clown during my stroll." Gilgamesh gazed into the red wine in his cup, as if seeing something amusing, a strange smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Clown?"

Kotomine Kirei felt confused. From his interactions with his master over time, he had also gained some insight into Gilgamesh's personality. The man was incredibly arrogant, calling everyone participating in the Holy Grail War "mongrels" during conversations with Tohno Shiro, seeming to look down on them greatly.

However, Kotomine Kirei hadn't expected this arrogant king to use a different word.

"That's right, a clown." Gilgamesh looked at Kotomine Kirei, seemingly happy to share his joy, and said with a smile, "That 'Saber' is a clown, a clown in the truest sense of the word."

"...The Einzbern's Servant is Saber?" Kotomine Kirei's expression seemed surprised. According to their speculation, the other party should have been Caster. But he hadn't expected them to be Saber?

Saber, known as the strongest class in the Holy Grail War, was actually a little girl? How was that possible?! And she didn't seem like someone who used a sword at all!

"You seem quite surprised, but that's understandable. Even a clown has their own abilities." Gilgamesh seemed pleased with Kotomine Kirei's reaction. If he had acted composed when he should have been surprised, like Tohno Shiro, it would have made Gilgamesh slightly displeased.

"He hid himself very well, like a rat in the sewers. Even though he bore the traces of those guys, he didn't dare to confront them head-on." Gilgamesh wore a mocking expression. He could see it very clearly.

That 'Saber' bore the aura of many individuals.

After Kotomine Kirei finished collecting the wine bottles, he stood before Gilgamesh and said plainly, "Traces of those guys? He's a Servant, a hero from the past. It's perfectly normal for him to bear the traces of others."

"What if I told you that 'Saber' is an ordinary person?" Gilgamesh drank the red wine in his cup and said with great amusement, "He's not a hero; he's just an ordinary person."

"How is that possible?!" Kotomine Kirei was greatly shocked. If other Masters knew this, they would likely have the same reaction.

How could an ordinary person be summoned as a Servant? This was completely against common sense.

"How is it possible? Nothing is impossible in this world." Gilgamesh raised his wine glass, looking at the somewhat transparent glass through the dim light, and said calmly, "When an ordinary person comes into contact with those 'extraordinary' individuals, then he is no longer ordinary."

"A child's soul is pure and flawless. A mongrel's soul is filthy. And that 'Saber', he is a child, and he has also been corrupted."

"His soul bears the traces of countless 'people'. His originally pure soul has now become incredibly dirty, as if anyone could add their own color to it, making one feel uncomfortable." Gilgamesh looked at Kotomine Kirei and smiled, "A person who makes their soul colorful, what else would you call him but a clown?"

"You want him?" Kotomine Kirei seemed to see through something as he looked at Gilgamesh and said calmly, "If that 'Saber' hadn't been tainted by others, would you have snatched him away?"

"No, how could that be? Pure souls aren't that rare, but if I searched carefully, this King would still find one," Gilgamesh stood up, a proud smile on his face. "However, this King is looking forward to seeing when his 'performance' will end."

"When the clown's performance is over, this King will decide whether to reward him or punish him based on his act."

PS: "25 chapters in debt, good grief!!!! Are you devils?!"

Chapter 27: Anticipation

After finishing his conversation with the Einzbern homunculus and his Servant, he relayed most of the information to Risei Kotomine and Kotomine Kirei.

At this moment, Tohno Shiro sat quietly in his home, perusing the information on the Matou family recorded by his predecessors. Of course… this information was from the notes left behind by his ancestor, Tohno Nagato.

It detailed the first head of the Matou family, Makiri Zolgen, and the magic passed down in their family.

"Bug Magic is one of the Matou family's inherited magics. But Butterfly Magic… is a product that surpasses Bug Magic. Then why would that Einzbern homunculus tell me this?" Tohno Shiro tapped on the table, his usually elegant expression showing a hint of impatience.

When he handed his daughter, Tohsaka Sakura, over to the Matou family, he had given it considerable thought. Although Sakura's Void attribute didn't align well with the Matou family's magic, Old Man Matou had also assured him that he would use gentle methods to modify Sakura's body, allowing her to adapt to the Matou family's magic.

Moreover… after Sakura was adopted by the Matou family, she was the last one with magical talent in the Matou family. Although she was an adopted child, she would inherit the Matou family's magic crest in the future. In the next Holy Grail War, even if a situation arose where sisters fought each other, no matter which side won, in a sense… it would be a victory for the Tohno family.

It was precisely because of this that Tohno Shiro felt at ease handing Tohsaka Sakura over to the Matou family…

Although he believed his information was correct, after hearing what the Einzbern homunculus said, Tohno Shiro felt as if he had missed something.

"Today has been a pleasant day. Shiro, aren't you planning to take a stroll?"

Just as Tohno Shiro was troubled, Gilgamesh, who had changed back into his golden attire, looked at Tohno Shiro sitting on the sofa with a very troubled expression, a strange smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"My King."

Seeing Gilgamesh approach, Tohno Shiro put away his troubled expression and stood up, offering a subordinate's bow.

Despite his inner turmoil, Tohno Shiro showed sufficient respect to Gilgamesh. After all, this King was a notorious tyrant in history.

If he angered the other party, Tohno Shiro couldn't guarantee what King Gilgamesh might do, so showing respect was essential.

"It seems you've encountered some difficulties." Seeing Tohno Shiro deliberately hiding his emotions, Gilgamesh's smile grew more amused. This was the first time he had 'voluntarily' spoken to Tohno Shiro.

"No, my King, I haven't encountered any difficulties. I merely have some family matters to attend to," Tohno Shiro completely concealed his expression and said calmly, "Those matters wouldn't trouble you, my King."

"Oh? Is that so? It matters not. This King is curious to see how you handle your family affairs." Gilgamesh laughed heartily and vanished into the room once more as golden particles.

Perhaps it was Gilgamesh's words that made Tohno Shiro seem to make up his mind, and he walked towards the basement.

Through the magic phonograph, Tohno Shiro contacted Kotomine Kirei, who was preparing to rest.

"Master, is there something you need?" Kotomine Kirei was somewhat surprised. He had contacted Tohno Shiro only an hour ago; why was his Master contacting him again now?

"Kirei, I want Assassin to investigate the Matou family," Tohno Shiro said very calmly. "Although this may put you in a difficult position, at this moment, having Assassin, who is skilled at gathering information, infiltrate the Matou family is undoubtedly the best choice."

The Matou family, like the Tohno family, had numerous magical barriers set up. If an ordinary person dared to intrude, they would die without even knowing how. Therefore, sending Assassin was the best choice; their infiltration skills were simply too formidable.

"What needs to be investigated?"

Kotomine Kirei suddenly thought of what Gilgamesh had said about 'performance.' Could it be that his Master had fallen into a trap?

"Investigate… whether Sakura is doing well, and by the way, observe the Matou family's Servant," Tohno Shiro felt that his state today was very off. He should be solely focused on participating in the Holy Grail War and not bother with other matters.

But Alice Phil's words were like a thorn in his heart, making him feel very uncomfortable. If he didn't investigate, unforeseen events might occur.

As the head of the Tohno family, Tohno Shiro believed he absolutely could not afford any unforeseen failures! Because he was perfect.

Whether in the eyes of the outside world or his own family, he had to be perfect. If a mutation truly occurred within the Matou family, then… they would see.

"Understood." Kotomine Kirei nodded. He did not tell Tohno Shiro about Gilgamesh's words, as his heart kept telling him.

His Master must already know this information, so it was better not to mention it.

"Having a disciple like you is truly my greatest fortune, Kirei." After entrusting the task to Kotomine Kirei, Tohno Shiro seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You flatter me, Master," Kotomine Kirei replied, saying it was what he should do.

After ending the call with Tohno Shiro, Risei Kotomine also walked over. He looked at his son with some confusion, "Shiro, why are you going to trouble the Matou family?"

Sending a Servant to infiltrate the Matou family was undoubtedly a provocation. Even Assassin, skilled in infiltration, couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be discovered.

Therefore, this carried a certain risk. If things went wrong, the Church would also be in trouble.

The Einzbern side already considered the Church to have broken the rules by unilaterally entering the Holy Grail War and destroying their neutral status.

If there wasn't concrete evidence, they would have already joined forces with the Three Great Families to cause trouble for Kotomine Kirei and Risei Kotomine.

"I don't know, but what's certain is that Master must have his reasons for doing so," Kotomine Kirei said calmly. "Besides, the Matou family is indeed very mysterious, and it's a good opportunity for us to investigate them as well."

"Indeed, Old Man Matou is somewhat peculiar. Some high-ranking figures in the Church have always wanted to know his background, but he hides it too well, and we haven't had any leverage. Now that we have Assassin, we can also investigate his background," Risei Kotomine also felt his son's words made sense and decided not to try and dissuade him further.

"The Matou family."

After dispatching an Assassin, Kotomine Kirei began to ponder what the Saber, whom Gilgamesh called a 'clown,' intended to do.

Could it be that he wanted his Master to fight the Matou family? That was impossible.

His Master was an extremely cautious individual. He had prepared for many years for this Holy Grail War, even going so far as to leverage the relationship between the Tohno family and the Church to win this Holy Grail War.

"Heh." Suddenly, Kotomine Kirei chuckled unconsciously. He found himself looking forward to how the situation would unfold.

My wife.jpg

PS: "Still owe 24 chapters. It feels like I didn't update anything yesterday with those four chapters... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I don't want to write! I want to slack off."

PS: "The reward for recommendation votes is gone! I won't offer recommendation votes as a reward next time! You guys are devils."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Something Feels Off

As evening fell, Mikaela and Irisviel had returned to the castle the Einzbern had set up in Fuyuki City. The two of them had visited many places today, but unfortunately, they hadn't encountered any Servants or Masters.

Besides Kenneth, whom they met unexpectedly, and Tohno Shiro, whom they met intentionally, they hadn't seen any other Masters or lone Servants today.

This led Mikaela to casually buy a few newspapers and return to the castle with Irisviel. Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya Hisau had not yet returned.

"I'm so tired today," Irisviel exclaimed, though she didn't feel much fatigue herself. As an artificial human, her physical strength was several times that of an ordinary person, and regular shopping wouldn't burden her much.

Mikaela placed the newspapers she had bought on the table and calmly asked Irisviel, "Would you like coffee or black tea?"

"Black tea, please," Irisviel replied, lying on the sofa with a very relaxed posture, completely lacking any elegance.

"………… Watch your posture, I'm a boy." Mikaela glanced at Irisviel but didn't dwell on it. Although the noblewoman's pose was somewhat suggestive, he only issued a warning before proceeding to make the tea himself.

"Hee hee~"

In reality, this wasn't the first or second time Mikaela had cautioned Irisviel, but she maintained an indifferent attitude.

If Mikaela were truly interested in her body... she wouldn't be able to stop him.

After all, Mikaela could directly transform into her appearance, find a secluded spot, undress, and admire himself in the mirror.

However, Mikaela had acted exceptionally gentlemanly, constantly reminding Irisviel to mind her image. Even though there were no outsiders, she should still respect his identity as a man.

"Sigh," Mikaela sighed helplessly as he looked at the nonchalant Irisviel, then went to prepare the black tea.

Just as he finished brewing the tea, Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya Hisau returned. They had also spent most of the day touring the city, setting up many significant contingency plans.