Talks / What a Schemer!...

"I like you!"

"I know. After all, I've been stalking you for two years."

"Nani?"

Another Book

"As a Sky Ranger, I Want to Save or Be Saved"

Negotiations

It was still the same coffee shop as before, except this time, the one waiting had changed to Tohno Shiro.

"Thank you." Tohno Shiro maintained his usual elegance as he smiled and nodded at the waitress who brought him his coffee.

"Y-You're welcome." Seeing how handsome Tohno Shiro was, the waitress blushed slightly. Most of the women working at this coffee shop were young and beautiful, and they had all undergone rigorous training.

Every day, they saw all kinds of customers. Whether they were from the East or West, business elites or company presidents, they had seen their fair share.

But they rarely encountered a man like Tohno Shiro, one who seemed like an aristocrat. Every word and gesture of his was filled with elegance, as though he had received strict training. One glance was enough to tell that he was no ordinary person.

Moreover, his sapphire-like eyes made people unable to resist looking at them a few more times. Yet upon closer inspection, one would notice a hint of melancholy in them.

Ah~ Was he troubled by something?

Although the waitress had received extremely strict training, she was still conquered by Tohno Shiro. Even though he had done nothing at all, merely sitting in his chair and stirring his coffee with a spoon, he exuded an air of melancholy.

"It's been a long time, Tohno Family Head."

However, a neutral voice soon came from nearby, snapping the smitten waitress back to her senses. She hurriedly turned around and saw a noblewoman approaching with a maid.

The one speaking appeared to be that maid.

"..." The waitress took a few more looks at the noblewoman in a white fur coat ensemble made from high-quality pelts, as well as the strange maid beside her with half-black, half-white hair. She immediately understood that these two were likely people of great status as well.

"We met only yesterday." Seeing that they had arrived, Tohno Shiro immediately revealed a smile. The people from the Einzbern family had finally come! He had been waiting for about an hour.

"Yes, Tohno Family Head, we met only yesterday. But it has been quite some time since we last met before that. Now that we are meeting again today, why can't I say 'it's been a long time'?"

Irisviel wore a flawless smile. As an artificial human of the Einzbern family, her negotiating ability was naturally not weak.

"That's true." Tohno Shiro smiled. He was not a politician, so there was no need to seize upon a minor slip of the tongue and press the matter relentlessly. Today, he was the one asking them for a favor. A lower stance would only bring benefits, not drawbacks.

"Then let's begin." Tohno Shiro snapped his fingers and activated the Magic Barrier he had prepared beforehand to drive people away.

The waitress had apparently intended to remain and watch for a little longer, but suddenly, she seemed to remember something important and left with her head lowered.

The other customers either glanced at their watches, showed looks of sudden realization, or appeared anxious. One after another, they left the coffee shop.

The spell to drive people away was originally magic used to disperse ordinary people. Put another way, it was probably a form of Suggestion Magic, making them remember something important they had to do and hurry out of the coffee shop.

"I believe you already know why I asked the two of you here today." Tohno Shiro took a slight sip of coffee and calmly looked at Irisviel. "According to the rules set by the Three Great Families, once there is a possibility that an 'outsider' may obtain the Holy Grail in the Holy Grail War, our three families must temporarily join forces against that 'outsider.'"

"Yes, that is correct. But Caster poses no threat to us at all." Irisviel seemed to know that Tohno Shiro would begin by pinning a huge label on Caster, and her expression remained very calm. "The Tohno Family Head's Servant is exceptionally powerful. Wouldn't dealing with someone like Caster be effortless?"

"Caster has captured many people, and we have no idea what he intends to do. Right now, the best choice is to gather the strength of every side's Servants and eliminate Caster and his Master in one stroke." Tohno Shiro stared at Irisviel and spoke gravely. "I believe you already know that ever since that Caster saw Saber, he has become extremely agitated."

"So a few people died. What does that have to do with us? Is it our fault that Caster became abnormally agitated upon seeing Saber?" Irisviel seemed to become "cold-hearted" all at once.

She did not care in the slightest about the deaths of ordinary people. Like a qualified artificial human, she could resort to any means necessary for victory in the Holy Grail War.

The deaths of others had nothing to do with her. She only cared about her immediate interests.

"..." Tohno Shiro felt somewhat helpless inside. Yesterday, he had thought Irisviel was relatively easy to talk to. Now, she seemed like a "qualified" magus, becoming unscrupulous in pursuit of her own goals.

"Ahem."

Suddenly, Mikaela coughed a few times, as if reminding Irisviel of something.

This made Irisviel's expression turn somewhat unpleasant, but her tone eased slightly. "Still, we will deal with the matter of Caster."

"Oh?" Tohno Shiro looked at Irisviel and Mikaela in surprise, unsure what the two of them were planning.

Tohno Shiro had originally thought today's trip would be wasted. He had not expected them to change their tone and let him see hope again.

However, Tohno Shiro became even more cautious now. There were no benefits in this world without reason. Since they were willing to accept his request, they would definitely bring up something even more troublesome for him.

"Tohno Family Head, do you know Kayneth?" Irisviel seemed to know that it was time to cast out the bait. She clasped her hands together and looked directly at Tohno Shiro. "That Lord of the Clock Tower."

"Of course. He is a major contender in this Holy Grail War. Fortunately, he himself does not seem particularly interested in the Holy Grail." Tohno Shiro seemed to have guessed Irisviel's purpose. He smiled. "If you want me to take the initiative and fight him, then I have no confidence in engaging in a magecraft exchange with a Lord of the Clock Tower. But if it is a battle between Servants, then I still have some confidence."

Tohno Shiro thought Irisviel wanted him to fight Kayneth to the bitter end, so he made his position clear.

There was no way he would fight Kayneth to the bitter end. He understood his own strength very well. In terms of magecraft, his attainments were nowhere near a match for that genius of the Clock Tower. Therefore, he would have to use his advantage in Servants to defeat him.

However, doing so would also expose Gilgamesh's strength. He still had to endure a while longer and wait until several Servants had been eliminated before letting the King of Heroes begin slaughtering everyone!

"What if I told you that Kayneth came here to participate with the intention of obtaining the Holy Grail, Tohno Family Head?"

Such Deep Schemes!

The moment those words were spoken, Tohno Shiro's eyes narrowed slightly. The "worried" air around him instantly disappeared, replaced by solemnity and seriousness.

As the manager of the Fuyuki region, Tohno Shiro had found Caster's killing spree unbearable. Out of a magus's pride and his duty as Fuyuki's manager, he had contacted the Holy Church and asked them to announce a suspension of the Holy Grail War, while offering a Command Seal as a reward.

He wanted everyone to put their full efforts into exterminating Caster. At the same time, Tohno Shiro wanted to use this opportunity to see whether the Noble Phantasms of the various factions could threaten Gilgamesh.

Killing two birds with one stone: he could eliminate Caster while also uncovering the others' Noble Phantasms.

But now, based on the information Irisviel had revealed, Tohno Shiro immediately set aside his duties as Fuyuki's manager and began seriously facing his opponent in the Holy Grail War.

"It seems you also understand how frightening a Lord giving his all can be." Seeing Tohno Shiro turn serious, Irisviel covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She did not seem particularly surprised by his reaction.

Because before coming here... Aila-chan had already told her that Tohno Shiro was this sort of person. If something happened beyond his expectations, his expression would definitely become serious.

"Wasn't he here just for fun?"

Tohno Shiro had truly become serious now. He had never imagined that the Lord from the Clock Tower had come to participate in earnest.

After all, Tohno Shiro also had connections in the Clock Tower. He had heard from the Clock Tower that Kayneth had come to participate in the Holy Grail War merely to travel and add a tale of military achievement to his life experience.

Although he did not underestimate the Three Great Families, the intelligence suggested that this Lord was extremely confident in his own talent, believing he could crush every contestant in this Holy Grail War through talent alone.

"If he were merely here for fun, then we could provide you with some intelligence and let you see just how sinister that Lord from the Clock Tower truly is." Irisviel now seemed like a seasoned negotiator. She wore a gentle smile as she looked at Tohno Shiro. "However, even with the rules established by our predecessors, I cannot simply hand over all the intelligence we painstakingly gathered to you."

"..." Tohno Shiro's heart sank. Although he had learned from Irisviel that Kayneth would seriously participate in the Holy Grail War, he did not know where the man got the confidence to be certain of winning it.

When it came to Servants, Tohno Shiro truly did not believe that Lancer could defeat the trump card in his hand, Gilgamesh.

Yet judging from Irisviel's attitude, she clearly believed her side could not deal with Kayneth at all, which was why she had come to discuss an "alliance" with him.

That was right! An alliance.

Although Irisviel had not explicitly said "alliance," Tohno Shiro could tell that her attitude made it obvious. Her side would handle Caster, while Tohno Shiro had to deal with Kayneth, their greatest enemy.

However, in order to preserve the dignity of her own family, she proposed the condition of exchanging intelligence.

At first glance, it was a win-win situation. But Tohno Shiro understood very clearly that the initiative in the negotiation was now entirely in his hands. If they negotiated well, then three Servants in this Holy Grail War would effectively be in his grasp.

Yet his heart felt heavy. What could possibly have happened that made the artificial human of the Einzbern family seek his help?

"Of course I will not ask you to provide intelligence for nothing. I can also reveal relevant intelligence from my side. Since you are providing me with intelligence on that Lord of the Clock Tower, in the name of the ancestors of the Three Great Families, I, Tohno Shiro, am willing to share most of my intelligence with you."

Although the initiative was in his hands, Tohno Shiro did not want to push them too hard. He took a step back as well, signaling that both sides were "equal."

"Phew." Irisviel seemed to let out a breath of relief. Then her smile grew even gentler, as though she was satisfied with this outcome.

"Then, Tohno Family Head... you absolutely must not be frightened by what we are about to tell you."

Mikaela opened her eyes at this moment and took Irisviel's place in negotiating with Tohno Shiro, because what came next required solid acting skills.

So before coming here, Mikaela had told Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel that Irisviel would handle the pleasant words, while Mikaela would handle everything else.

On one hand, this highlighted Irisviel's qualities as a Master.

On the other hand, it allowed Tohno Shiro to see that this Servant from the Einzbern family was very obedient. As long as her Master agreed to ally with him, she would not oppose her Master's wishes and would do everything possible to assist him.

"Please, go ahead." Tohno Shiro extended a hand, indicating that Mikaela should speak freely.

He was a professional magus. No matter what he heard, he would not be frightened.

"Do you know Rider in this Holy Grail War?" Mikaela first threw out a piece of information, making Tohno Shiro frown slightly, unsure why she was bringing up Rider.

"Yes, I do. I even know his true name. He is the King of Conquerors who left behind a brilliant mark in history—Iskandar."

Although he did not know what this Servant before him wanted to say, Tohno Shiro did not interrupt her. Instead, he made it clear that he already knew most of the information, telling her to get to the point.

"Then I won't waste words." Seeming to notice Tohno Shiro's impatience, Mikaela smiled faintly and said calmly, "The Master of that King of Conquerors is Kayneth's student, named Waver Velvet."

"I know that too."

Tohno Shiro frowned. He had naturally learned such intelligence long ago. The only reason that third-rate magus could participate in the Holy Grail War was because he had stolen the Holy Relic Kayneth had prepared beforehand, then come to Fuyuki City and obtained the qualifications of a Master.

In a sense, he was not much different from Caster's Master. He was merely someone who had unexpectedly involved himself in the Holy Grail War.

"An accidental product, right? Not worth caring about." Mikaela voiced Tohno Shiro's thoughts. He still maintained a smile and said calmly, "But what if I told you that this was not an accident at all, but an identity deliberately created for him?"

"!!!!!"

In an instant, Tohno Shiro seemed to understand something. He immediately thought of the plan he and Kotomine Kirei were carrying out.

One in the light, one in the shadows.

The high-profile Kayneth attracted the attention of most people, while Waver Velvet, acting in secret, continued gathering intelligence from every side while creating the appearance of a falling-out between master and student.

This way, anyone would think that Kayneth and Waver, this master and student pair, were bound to fight each other.

But! If the Holy Grail War reached the middle or later stages, when seven Servants had become five, or four, and the two of them suddenly joined forces... defeated one Servant, then pressed their advantage, no one would be able to stop them.

"Such deep schemes!"

Tohno Shiro could not suppress his anger. He slammed his fist against the table. Why had he not considered this possibility?! Had he thought that a Lord of the Clock Tower was truly like a knight, longing for a fair duel?!

"Yes, yes." Mikaela played along from the side. "The two of them are truly terrifying. If we had not noticed a slight clue last night, even my Master would have remained completely in the dark."

Irisviel nodded with a worried expression, also seeming to find the matter extremely difficult.

PS: "Please vote."

Informing Him

After finishing the negotiations with Tohno Shiro, Mikaela's efforts finally made this Tohno Family Head understand just how terrifying the situation was.

A Lord of the Clock Tower who had come to fight with all his strength, along with the student at his side—one in the open, one in the shadows.

First, he put on an act with his student in public, deliberately allowing him to steal the King of Conquerors' Holy Relic. He even let him arrive safely in Fuyuki City and settle there temporarily, using him as an informant to gather intelligence.

Then he himself stepped into the spotlight openly, acting arrogant and conceited, as though he held no one in regard.

Although this routine felt somewhat familiar, Tohno Shiro only wanted to angrily ask Kayneth one thing: did he have any pride at all as a Lord of the Clock Tower?! Didn't he say he was coming here to travel?! To fight a Holy Grail War along the way?!

This was not tourism at all! He had clearly set his sights on the Holy Grail!

After Tohno Shiro dispelled the Magic Barrier, he said that he would return first to formulate a battle plan, then contact Irisviel again. He then hurriedly departed.

The intelligence he had obtained today had clearly exceeded his expectations.

"The plan succeeded." Mikaela watched Tohno Shiro leave and revealed a faint, ambiguous smile. Today's plan had clearly gone very smoothly.

By now, Tohno Shiro would certainly believe that he had formed an alliance with the Einzbern family. At the same time, he would focus all his attention on Kayneth and Waver. As long as those two had not been eliminated...

Then... Tohno Shiro would not turn his attention toward them.

"Yes." Irisviel smiled and nodded. She was clearly relieved, afraid that her acting would not be convincing enough and Tohno Shiro would notice something suspicious.

However, judging from the way he had hurried away, Tohno Shiro firmly believed everything they had said.

But thinking about it carefully, that was only natural. Irisviel had no reason to deceive Tohno Shiro. The strength they had displayed from the beginning had indeed put them at a disadvantage.

According to Mikaela, what Irisviel needed to portray today was the dignity of a standard magus during hard times.

Even if she was weaker than Tohno Shiro, she still had to display the bearing of a great family. Even if her Servant was weaker than his in this Holy Grail War, and even if she could not defeat him herself, she had to preserve her dignity!

They were one of the Three Great Families. It was one thing to fight among themselves, but when dealing with outsiders, they stood as one.

So she would tell him the intelligence she had discovered. Her Servant would deal with Caster, while he would handle those powerful enemies.

At first glance, Irisviel's side seemed like fools, handing over intelligence they had painstakingly gathered to Tohno Shiro and creating an opportunity for him to defeat his enemies.

But in reality... Mikaela and Emiya Kiritsugu had discussed it. If! Tohno Shiro dared to make a move, then he would find a way to blow up the man's base!