Moon Type Card Servant

"I like you!"

"I know, I've been following you for two years."

"Nani?"

Another Book

As a Sky Ranger, I Want to Redeem or Be Redeemed

Chapter 52: Negotiation

It was the same coffee shop as before, but this time, Tohno Shiro was the one waiting.

"Thank you." Tohno Shiro maintained his elegance, nodding with a smile at the waitress who brought him his coffee.

"N-no need to thank me." Seeing the handsome Tohno Shiro, the waitress blushed. Most of the women working at this coffee shop were young, beautiful, and well-trained.

They had seen all sorts of customers, both Eastern and Western, from business elites to company presidents.

But they rarely encountered a man like Tohno Shiro, who was like nobility. His every word and action exuded elegance, as if he had undergone rigorous training, making it clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

And his sapphire-like eyes made it hard not to stare, but upon closer inspection, one could see a hint of sorrow in them.

Ah~ is he troubled by something?

Despite her strict training, the waitress was captivated by Tohno Shiro. He hadn't done anything, merely sat in his chair, stirring his coffee with a spoon, exuding an aura of 'melancholy'.

"It's been a while, Tohno Family Head."

But soon, a neutral voice came from not far away, startling the infatuated waitress. She quickly turned her head and saw a noblewoman accompanied by a maid approaching.

The speaker seemed to be the maid.

"..." The waitress took a few more glances at the noblewoman dressed in a white fur coat suit made of expensive fur, and the strange maid beside her with hair that was half black and half white. She immediately understood that these two were likely of very noble status as well.

"We met yesterday." Seeing them arrive, Tohno Shiro immediately broke into a smile. The Einzbern family had finally arrived!! He had been waiting for about an hour.

"Yes, Tohno Family Head, we met yesterday, but it's been some time since our last meeting. Why can't we say 'it's been a while' today?"

Irisviel offered a flawless smile. As an artificial human of the Einzbern family, her negotiation skills were naturally not weak.

"That's true." Tohno Shiro smiled. He wasn't a politician and didn't need to seize on a slight misstatement to attack. Today, he had something to ask of them, and a more humble attitude would only be beneficial.

"Then, let's begin." Tohno Shiro snapped his fingers, activating the barrier magic he had prepared.

The waitress, who had seemed to be lingering to observe, suddenly looked as if she remembered something important and left with her head down.

Other customers either glanced at their watches, showed expressions of sudden realization, or looked anxious, and one by one, they left the coffee shop.

Dispelling magic was originally meant to dispel ordinary people. In other words, it was a form of psychological suggestion magic, making them remember that they had something important to do and hurry out of the coffee shop.

"I invited you two here today because I believe you already know the reason." Tohno Shiro took a sip of his coffee and said calmly to Irisviel, "According to the rules set by the Three Great Families, if there is a possibility of an 'outsider' winning the Holy Grail War, then our three families must temporarily join forces to deal with the 'outsider'."

"Yes, that's correct, but Caster poses no threat to us." Irisviel seemed to know that Tohno Shiro would immediately label Caster as a major threat, and her expression was very calm. "Your Servant is exceptionally powerful, Tohno Family Head. Dealing with someone like Caster should be a piece of cake, shouldn't it?"

"Caster has captured many people, and we have no idea what he intends to do. It is imperative that we concentrate the strength of all Servants and eliminate Caster and his Master in one fell swoop. That is the best course of action." Tohno Shiro stared at Irisviel, his expression very serious. "I believe you are also aware that Caster became extremely agitated upon seeing Saber."

"A few deaths, what does that have to do with us? Is it our fault that Caster became unusually agitated upon seeing Saber?" Irisviel suddenly appeared 'heartless'.

She didn't care about the deaths of other civilians, acting like a proper artificial human who would stop at nothing to win the Holy Grail War.

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

"..." Tohno Shiro felt a sense of helplessness. Yesterday, he had thought Irisviel was more 'reasonable', but now she seemed like a 'proper' Magus, willing to resort to any means to achieve her goals.

"Ahem."

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

This made Irisviel's expression falter slightly, but her tone softened a little. "However, we will still deal with the Caster situation."

"Oh?" Tohno Shiro looked at Irisviel and Mikaela with some surprise, unsure of what they were planning.

Tohno Shiro had initially thought he would have come for nothing today, but when their tone shifted, he saw a glimmer of hope.

However, Tohno Shiro became even more cautious. There were no free lunches in this world. If they were willing to accept his request, they would surely present him with something more difficult to handle.

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

"Naturally. He is a major competitor in this Holy Grail War. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to have much interest in the Grail himself." Tohno Shiro seemed to have guessed Irisviel's intention and smiled. "If you want me to actively engage him in combat, I'm not confident I can hold my own in a magical duel with the Lord of the Clock Tower. However, if it's a battle between Servants, then I have some confidence."

Tohno Shiro assumed Irisviel wanted him to fight Kayneth to the bitter end, so he clarified his position.

He would not fight Kayneth to the death. He was well aware of his own abilities; his attainments in magic were no match for that Clock Tower genius. Therefore, he would use his Servant's advantage to defeat the opponent.

However, doing so would also reveal Gilgamesh's strength. He had to hold back a little longer, waiting for several Servants to be eliminated before letting that Hero King go on a killing spree!

"What if I told you, Kayneth intends to win the Grail?"

Chapter 53: Such Deep Schemes!

As these words were spoken, Tohno Shiro's eyes narrowed slightly. The 'worried' aura around him vanished instantly, replaced by seriousness and intensity.

As the administrator of the Fuyuki area, Tohno Shiro could no longer tolerate Caster's murderous acts. Driven by his pride as a Magus and his duty as Fuyuki's administrator, he had contacted the Church, requesting them to declare a suspension of the Holy Grail War and offer a Command Seal as a reward.

He wanted others to focus on eliminating Caster, and at the same time, Tohno Shiro intended to use this opportunity to see if the Noble Phantasms of the various parties could threaten Gilgamesh.

Killing two birds with one stone, they could eliminate Caster and also discover the Noble Phantasms of others.

However, based on the information Irisviel had just revealed, Tohno Shiro immediately set aside his duties as Fuyuki's administrator and began to seriously consider his opponents in the Holy Grail War.

"It seems you also know how terrifying a full-powered Lord can be." Seeing Tohno Shiro's newfound seriousness, Irisviel pursed her lips and chuckled lightly, seemingly not surprised by his reaction.

Because before they came... Aila-chan had already told her that Tohno Shiro was just that kind of person; if something happened that exceeded his imagination, his expression would definitely turn serious.

"Wasn't he just here to play?"

Tohno Shiro was truly serious now. He hadn't expected that the Lord from the Clock Tower was actually here to compete seriously.

After all, Tohno Shiro had connections at the Clock Tower. He had heard from them that Kayneth's participation in the Holy Grail War was merely for tourism and to add a legendary feat to his life's experiences.

Although he didn't underestimate the Three Great Families, according to the intelligence, that Lord was clearly very confident in his own abilities, believing that talent alone could crush all participants in this Holy Grail War.

"If he's just here to play, then we can provide you with some information to show you just how insidious that Lord from the Clock Tower is." Irisviel, like a seasoned negotiator, offered a gentle smile as she looked at Tohno Shiro and said, "However, even with the rules of our predecessors, I can't give you all the information I worked so hard to gather."

"..." Tohno Shiro's heart sank. Although he had learned from Irisviel that Kayneth would participate seriously in the Holy Grail War, he didn't know what "confidence" they had to guarantee victory in this Holy Grail War.

When it came to Servants, Tohno Shiro really didn't think that Lancer could defeat his trump card, Gilgamesh.

But judging by Irisviel's attitude, it was clear that she believed their side couldn't handle Kayneth, which was why she had come to discuss an "alliance."

That's right! An alliance.

Although Irisviel hadn't explicitly said "alliance," Tohno Shiro could tell that her intentions were clear: their side would handle Caster, and Tohno Shiro would have to deal with Kayneth, the biggest threat.

However, to maintain their family's dignity, she proposed a condition of mutual information exchange.

At first glance, it seemed like a win-win situation, but Tohno Shiro knew very well that the negotiating power was entirely in his hands. If the negotiation went well, he would have three Servants under his command in this Holy Grail War.

Yet, his heart felt heavy. What could possibly have driven the homunculus from the Einzbern family to seek his help?

"Naturally, I won't have you give me information for free. I can also reveal relevant information. Since you have provided me with information about that Lord from the Clock Tower, in the name of the ancestors of the Three Great Families, I, Tohno Shiro, am willing to share most of the information with you."

Although the power was in his hands, Tohno Shiro didn't want to push too hard. He also took a step back, indicating that they were "equals."

"Hoo." Irisviel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and her smile became even gentler, as if satisfied with the outcome.

"Then, Tohno Family Head... you must not be afraid of what I'm about to say next."

Mikaela opened her eyes and took over the negotiation with Tohno Shiro from Irisviel. This was because what was about to be said required impeccable acting.

So, before coming, Mikaela had already told Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel that Irisviel would handle the pleasantries, and Mikaela would handle the rest.

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

On the other hand, it showed Tohno Shiro that this Servant from the Einzbern family was very obedient. As long as the Master agreed to an alliance with him, she would not resist the Master's will and would do her best to assist him.

"Please, go ahead." Tohno Shiro extended his hand, inviting Mikaela to speak freely.

He was a professional Magus, and no matter what he heard, he wouldn't be afraid.

"Do you know about this Holy Grail War's Rider?" Mikaela first dropped a piece of information, causing Tohno Shiro to frown slightly, not understanding why she mentioned Rider.

"Yes, that's right. I also know his true name: the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, who left a brilliant mark on history."

Although he didn't know what this Servant wanted to say, Tohno Shiro didn't interrupt. Instead, he indicated that he knew most of the information about the person in question, so he asked her to get to the point.

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

"I know that too."

Tohno Shiro frowned. This was the kind of information he had already gathered. That third-rate Magus was able to participate in the Holy Grail War entirely because he stole the catalyst Kayneth had prepared beforehand, then came to Fuyuki City and obtained Master qualifications.

In a sense, he was no different from the Master of that Caster, just someone who had unexpectedly intervened in the Holy Grail War.

"He's an anomaly, right? No need to worry about him." Mikaela voiced Tohno Shiro's inner thoughts. He maintained his smile and said calmly, "But what if I told you that this is not an anomaly at all, but a deliberately crafted 'identity'?"

"!!!!"

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

One in the open, one in the dark.

Kayneth's high-profile appearance attracted the attention of most people, while Waver Velvet, acting in the shadows, continued to gather intelligence and created a facade of "master and disciple discord."

This way, everyone would believe that Kayneth and Waver, master and disciple, were bound to fight each other.

But! What if, as the Holy Grail War progressed to the middle or late stages, the seven Servants were reduced to five or four, and then the two of them suddenly joined forces... and defeated one of the remaining Servants? Then, with a follow-up attack, no one would be able to stop the two of them.

"Such deep scheming!"

Tohno Shiro couldn't suppress his anger and slammed his fist on the table. Why hadn't he thought of this possibility?! Did he think the Lord from the Clock Tower was truly like a knight, yearning for a fair duel?!

"Yes, yes." Mikaela responded from the side, "They are both too terrifying. If I hadn't seen a hint of the situation last night, my Master would have been kept in the dark."

Irisviel nodded with a worried expression, also finding the matter difficult to handle.

PS: "Seeking recommendation votes"

Chapter Fifty-Four: Revelation

After negotiating with Tohno Shiro, under Mikaela's guidance, the Tohno Family Head finally understood the terrifying implications of the situation.

The Lord from the Clock Tower participating with full force, accompanied by his disciple, one in the open, one in the dark.

First, they staged a play with his disciple on the surface, having him deliberately steal the King of Conquerors' catalyst and allowing him to safely arrive in Fuyuki City to temporarily reside as an informant to gather intelligence.

Then he openly walked onto the stage, displaying his arrogance and presumptuousness as if he held no one in contempt.

Although this approach felt somewhat familiar, Tohno Shiro could only angrily rebuke Kayneth, "Do you have any pride as a Lord of the Clock Tower left?! We agreed you were just coming for a visit! And to participate in the Holy Grail War?!"

This isn't a visit at all! You're clearly after the Holy Grail!

After dispelling his magic barrier, Tohno Shiro announced he would return to formulate a battle plan, then contact Irisviel, and then he left in a hurry.

The information he obtained today had clearly exceeded his expectations.

"The plan succeeded." Mikaela watched Tohno Shiro depart, a faint smile gracing his lips. The plan had gone exceptionally smoothly today.

Tohno Shiro would surely believe that he had allied with the Einzbern family, and his attention would be entirely focused on Kayneth and Waver. As long as those two weren't eliminated, Tohno Shiro wouldn't shift his focus to them.

"Yes," Irisviel nodded with a smile, clearly relieved. She had been worried her acting wasn't good enough and that Tohno Shiro might see through their deception.

However, judging by his hasty departure, Tohno Shiro had believed every word they said.

But thinking about it, it was understandable. Irisviel had no reason to deceive Tohno Shiro. The strength they had initially displayed was indeed at a disadvantage.

According to Mikaela, Irisviel's performance today was that of a standard Magus in 'distress'.

Even if her strength was inferior to Tohno Shiro's, she had to project the dignity of a great family. Even if her Servant's strength in this Holy Grail War was inferior to yours, and she herself couldn't defeat you, she had to put up a fight!

We are one of the Three Great Families. While we may bicker amongst ourselves, when it comes to outsiders, we are united.

So, I will tell you the information I've gathered: my Servant will deal with Caster, and you will be responsible for facing the powerful enemies.

At first glance, Irisviel's side seemed foolish, handing over the intelligence they had painstakingly gathered to Tohno Shiro, giving him the means to defeat his enemies.

But in reality... Mikaela and Emiya Kiritsugu had discussed it: if Tohno Shiro dared to make a move, they would find a way to blow up his stronghold!