Type-Moon: Card Servants

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

Tohno Shiro's gaze turned somewhat enigmatic. He felt that Irisviel was joking—she did not want to hand the Holy Grail over to Kayneth, but instead intended to give it to him, another member of the Three Great Families.

How could that be possible? The Einzbern family was famously arrogant. Although their chances of victory were slim now, it was impossible for them to have no hope of winning at all.

How could Irisviel, who had not yet fallen into absolute despair, possibly hand the Holy Grail over to him?

Seeing Tohno Shiro's expression, Irisviel unhurriedly took out a parchment scroll and placed it on the table. The gentleness in her eyes vanished, replaced by utter seriousness.

"You must sign this before we assist you."

"..." Tohno Shiro looked at the parchment before him and fell into thought for a moment. Slowly, he opened it.

A Self-Enforcement Document—this was a sorcery contract used when making an agreement that could never be broken.

"Interesting. I never expected the ever-proud Einzbern family to place their hopes on the next Holy Grail War." Tohno Shiro carefully read every word on the parchment, a delighted smile appearing on his face.

That was right. It stated:

Irisviel von Einzbern, in her capacity as a Master, would provide Tohno Shiro with every form of assistance beneficial to him during the Fourth Holy Grail War, until he obtained the Holy Grail.

Likewise, the price Tohno Shiro had to pay was considerable! As the Tohno Family Head, he had to promise that if any of his future descendants encountered a Master of the Einzbern family in a Holy Grail War, they must yield victory in that Holy Grail War to her.

It was a win-win arrangement. Tohno Shiro would gain victory in this Holy Grail War.

The Einzbern family would gain a powerful ally for the next Holy Grail War, one that would absolutely never betray them. They could even use the Tohno family's connections to bribe the Holy Church.

Just as in this Holy Grail War, the Church would then provide the Einzbern family with substantial assistance.

"What if I refuse?" Though the offer was extremely tempting, Tohno Shiro still calmed himself. Looking seriously at Irisviel, he said, "Although these terms are highly beneficial to me now, my future descendants would likely be very unwilling."

Once he signed the Self-Enforcement Document, even if Tohno Shiro died in this Holy Grail War, as long as his Magecraft Crest was inherited by the next generation, his descendants would be bound by the agreement he had signed.

Unless Tohno Shiro destroyed the Magecraft Crest on his body—but that was impossible, unless Tohno Shiro had gone mad.

"If you refuse, then I will seek out a Lord of the Clock Tower." Irisviel wore a very gentle smile as she continued, "Under the same terms, I will have him aid the Einzbern family. The power of a Lord could very well allow the Einzbern family to win the next Holy Grail War."

"...It seems I have no choice." Tohno Shiro sighed helplessly.

Faced with Irisviel's threats and temptations, Tohno Shiro finally made his decision. In truth, he had no choice. If he clashed head-on with the Einzbern family, he would be the one at a disadvantage.

"Because we both belong to the Three Great Families, I chose you, Tohno Family Head." Irisviel hid her gentle smile and narrowed her eyes. "And you should know very well that you joined forces with the Holy Church in this Holy Grail War. According to the rules of the Holy Grail War, you cheated."

"So you have already punished me, haven't you?" Tohno Shiro shrugged as he looked at Irisviel. "The mansion passed down through the Tohno family for generations was destroyed by you."

"That was not punishment. It was merely a warning." Irisviel's tone was grave. "If this Holy Grail War did not have such a powerful external enemy, I would have disciplined you in the name of the Einzbern family long ago."

"Then I should thank that Lord from the Clock Tower?" Tohno Shiro smiled. He rose to his feet, looked at Irisviel and Mikaela standing beside her, then extended his hand calmly. "Then let us work well together from here on."

Tohno Shiro had now signed the Self-Enforcement Document.

"Yes, let us work well together." Irisviel stood and took Tohno Shiro's hand, signifying that their alliance had officially been formed.

She smiled very happily, as though some objective had been achieved.

Did Matou Zouken Die?

After forming an alliance with Tohno Shiro, Irisviel handed over nearly all of her intelligence to him as a gesture of sincerity.

This included some information about Emiya Kiritsugu—for instance, Irisviel operated openly while Emiya Kiritsugu gathered intelligence in the shadows.

Tohno Shiro was not surprised by this in the slightest. After all, handing the dirty work to that filthy Magus Killer suited the man's image perfectly.

"It seems our arrival interrupted your breakfast preparations." Irisviel now radiated the air of a formidable career woman. She snapped her fingers and looked at Mikaela. "Saber, could you help the Tohno Family Head?"

"Understood."

Mikaela nodded slightly and did not refuse Irisviel's request. With a calm expression, he shifted into spirit form, seemingly preparing to enter the kitchen.

"Thank you for the trouble." Though Mikaela had entered spirit form, Tohno Shiro still politely thanked him. A trace of envy flashed through his eyes. Why was the Servant he had summoned not someone obedient and powerful like that?

If told to cook, he would cook. Unlike his own Servant, who spent all day wandering around. The moment he woke up in the morning, the King of Heroes had already vanished who knew where.

Comparing them, there truly was no comparison at all.

After entering spirit form, Mikaela did not immediately go cook. He first headed to the Matou family's worm pit. There was something he needed to confirm first: had that old worm truly died completely?

Because of the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid, Mikaela was now like a startled bird, beginning to investigate dangers everywhere.

Matou Sakura had been rescued, meaning Matou Zouken's "hope" had vanished. While he was very likely hiding somewhere, it was also possible that he would directly involve himself in this Holy Grail War.

Although he did not have a Servant in his hands now, that old worm who had lived for five hundred years certainly possessed some hidden cards.

If he was allowed to finish preparing, establish his position, and forcefully enter the Holy Grail War, they might truly be caught off guard and suffer a reversal at his hands!

Therefore, although Tohno Shiro had said that Matou Kariya used a Command Seal to kill Matou Zouken, Mikaela still felt it necessary to investigate and see whether he could find anything.

Arriving at the worm pit, Mikaela looked down at the basement that had once been an ocean of worms. Now, only ashes remained.

That was right—nothing but ashes remained. The surrounding walls bore scorch marks from flames, clearly the handiwork of Tohno Shiro.

"...There are no traces at all. Could that guy really have been killed?" Mikaela descended below and, in spirit form, took a brief look around. After finding nothing unusual, he quietly withdrew.

Everything here had been burned completely clean by Tohno Shiro's flames. Other than the ashes of worms, nothing had been left behind.

"Forget it."

Giving the worm pit one final glance, Mikaela left as well and headed toward the kitchen.

"Hm?" In the kitchen, Mikaela saw a little girl and a sickly-looking man. She recognized them at a glance: Matou Sakura and Matou Kariya.

But why were the two of them in the kitchen? Were they making food?

"Sakura, sit down first. Uncle will make breakfast." Though Matou Kariya was weak, he was not so weak that he could not cook.

There was no need to guess. Matou Kariya cared deeply about Matou Sakura and naturally did not want her to go hungry.

"Haah... morning, Uncle. And morning to my stupid little sister."

A little boy with seaweed-like hair walked in through the door, yawning. Looking at his sickly second uncle, he rubbed his eyes and asked nonchalantly, "What are we having today?"

"Matou Shinji." Mikaela looked at the seaweed-haired boy, a subtle look flashing through her eyes. Was this the guy who was useless at magecraft but capable at everything else?

"What to eat..." Matou Kariya seemed troubled as well. He truly did not know what would be best. His older brother had always handled the cooking before. Although his brother preferred ordering takeout, he had rarely ordered breakfast.

But now, his older brother had been knocked unconscious by Tohno Shiro. Apparently, to make him take the punishment in place of that old worm, Matou Zouken, Tohno Shiro had no intention of letting him wake up anytime soon.

"Leave it to me." Mikaela dispelled her spirit form, walked over to the kitchen counter, and skillfully picked up an apron and tied it around herself.

For the moment, Tohno Shiro had formed an alliance with them. Since they were "allies" for now, Mikaela did not mind building up some goodwill.

If one meal could make Tohno Shiro trust them completely, Mikaela would not mind making a few more meals to get him to put in some proper effort.

"Huh? A new maid? When did you get here? I didn't see you at all." Seeing Mikaela in a maid outfit, Matou Shinji looked startled for a moment, unable to understand where she had come from.

"!!!!!"

Matou Kariya, however, immediately stood in front of Matou Sakura as if facing a formidable enemy. Staring at Mikaela in disbelief, he said, "A Servant?!"

"Tohno Shiro and I have already formed an alliance. You don't need to be so wary, though it wouldn't help even if you were." Mikaela understood Matou Kariya's attitude. If she saw someone capable of taking her life at any moment suddenly appear beside her, she too would instinctively protect the person most important to her.

"An alliance? I see." Matou Kariya seemed to understand something and relaxed slightly. He roughly understood now. This person must have been the one who came to see Tohno Shiro that morning.

Her Master was probably still negotiating with Tohno Shiro.

"Mm. Consider today's breakfast a gift to commemorate our alliance. Let's see what's in the fridge." Mikaela did not intend to waste words on Matou Kariya. She checked the refrigerator and found that it was fully stocked with ingredients. It seemed someone had prepared them beforehand.

Having ingredients was a good thing. If there had been none, Mikaela would probably have needed to go to a nearby supermarket and buy some.

"??? What are you talking about?" Matou Shinji was utterly confused, unable to understand why his second uncle was so afraid of that maid.

They were a family of magi. Maids existed to serve people. If anyone was supposed to be afraid, it should be the maids fearing them.

"Nothing. Breakfast will be ready soon." Mikaela took three eggs from the refrigerator.

"Crack."

With a crisp sound, Mikaela cracked all three eggs one-handed. Just as the egg whites began to spill out, she placed them perfectly into a bowl she had prepared beforehand.

"..." Matou Sakura and Matou Kariya both saw the scene, and their reactions were rather similar.

Matou Kariya's mouth hung open. It was his first time seeing someone hold three eggs in one hand, crack all three at once, and accurately pour both the whites and yolks into a bowl. There was not even a shard of eggshell in it. That skill alone was exceedingly rare!

Matou Sakura, meanwhile, looked as though she had seen something incredibly interesting. Her previously emotionless eyes now gleamed with a trace of curiosity.

Ten minutes was neither long nor short. Under the astonished gazes of Matou Kariya, Matou Sakura, and Matou Shinji, Mikaela used only ten minutes to make a nutritious breakfast.

"Done."

After finishing the last dish, Mikaela took off her apron, set it aside, and said calmly, "I'll go call my Master and the Tohno Family Head."

The moment she finished speaking, Mikaela walked past the three of them and headed outside. Matou Kariya felt somewhat dazed. Was this what a legendary hero was like? Even cooking was that fast?

No, wait! Why would an ancient hero know how to use modern appliances? Could it be that, while learning modern knowledge, the modern knowledge this hero had absorbed was cooking?!

"So... amazing..." Matou Sakura spoke, replaying the scene of Mikaela cooking in her mind as if she had become lost in it.

"This maid is kind of incredible." Young Matou Shinji swallowed, then looked at Matou Kariya excitedly. "Uncle, is this kind of maid going to serve us all the time?!"

In Matou Shinji's mind, they were a noble family of magi, so everything had to be done properly.

But some things were exceptions. For example, he needed to devote himself to studying magecraft, so he certainly could not personally handle trivial daily chores.

That maid from earlier was pretty good. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also great at cooking. He just did not know whether she was any good at cleaning!

"Uh, that... probably not, because in a few days, she'll likely disappear from this world." Matou Kariya did not know what to say to his nephew. Making a Servant your maid? Keep dreaming. They were heroes of history.

She might have looked polite on the surface, but that was only because Tohno Shiro had formed an alliance with them, so she was willing to show them some goodwill for now. Without the effects of this "alliance," she probably would not be so courteous.

Matou Kariya understood the terrifying side of Servants. Though he was only a half-baked Master, he knew how frightening legendary heroes could be.

Take Matou Zouken, for example, the man who had terrified him his entire life. Under a Servant's attack, had he not been cleanly slaughtered without even the slightest chance to fight back?

"Huh? Does she have a terminal illness?" Matou Shinji seemed reluctant to hear that. He did not yet know about the Holy Grail War, so he thought that maid had some incurable disease.

"Something like that."

Matou Kariya gave a dry laugh, but he quickly collected himself. He did not have much time left in the future, so he had decided to devote the rest of his life to Matou Sakura and heal the psychological wounds she had suffered.

But for now, they needed to fill their stomachs first. Only after eating could they think about anything else.

"Oh, it seems that Servant really is quite capable."

At that moment, Tohno Shiro arrived as well. Looking at the spread of dishes on the table, he said in surprise, "To think she made breakfast in such a short time. Should I say that's what one would expect from a Servant?"

"Where are they?" Matou Kariya asked Tohno Shiro. Why had he come alone? Had that Servant and her Master not come over?

"They were preparing to leave." Tohno Shiro glanced at Matou Kariya and said calmly, "The matter has already been discussed, so there is no need for them to stay. But magi are sometimes like that—without sufficient benefits, they would not have come to see me so early in the first place."

At that, Tohno Shiro could not help but laugh. In this Holy Grail War, victory was practically in his grasp.

The Tohno family's long-cherished wish would be fulfilled through him!

To be honest, Tohno Shiro had no idea how he could possibly lose!! He had a highly trustworthy disciple, as well as a Servant who stood above the vast majority of other Servants.

Now, Einzbern had brought their own Servant—the saber who possessed immense power in this Holy Grail War, yet was completely countered by his own Servant.

They had now joined his side as well. Three Servants: one to gather intelligence, one to serve as the vanguard, and one to be kept as a trump card.

And what did the other side have? Aside from the King of Conquerors, whom saber greatly feared, Diarmuid posed no significant threat to saber at all.

As long as he advised the King of Heroes to eliminate the King of Conquerors, victory in the Holy Grail War would be his.

"Though you are a clown, your cooking is barely passable."

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out. Gilgamesh, dressed in casual clothes, held a pair of chopsticks as he picked up one of Mikaela's stir-fried dishes and placed it in his mouth. He savored it carefully before saying with some disdain, "The food is decent, but it lacks sincere emotion. It is merely a perfunctory work."

"My King."

Seeing Gilgamesh suddenly appear, Tohno Shiro immediately bowed. Before, he certainly would not have bowed so solemnly, but when he thought of how he would need the King of Heroes to act in the plan ahead—

He felt it was necessary to be a little more deferential, so that the King of Heroes would deal with the King of Conquerors.

"Tohno Shiro, what is it? It is mealtime now. Is there something you need to report to me?" Gilgamesh looked at the respectful Tohno Shiro, a trace of mockery flashing through his eyes. He naturally saw through Tohno Shiro's "hypocritical" attitude.

However, recalling the fatherly devotion the man had displayed yesterday in order to save his daughter, Gilgamesh temporarily chose to overlook that "hypocritical" attitude.

"My King, do you know that in this Holy Grail War, there is another Servant known as a 'King'?"

After what had happened last night, Tohno Shiro had more or less grasped Gilgamesh's temperament. Ignoring his meal, he said unhurriedly, "He is known as the King of Conquerors, and he is—"

"I will handle it myself. There is no need for you to concern yourself, Tohno Shiro." Gilgamesh cut him off. He had no desire to listen to such nonsense.