The Arrogant Transmigrator

In this era, the magi of the Type-Moon World no longer used magic, but magecraft. There was nothing to be done about that. However, it was fine if one used another type of energy—magic could still be cast with other forms of energy.

The ORT Great Spider, which had arrived on Earth too early and was still asleep, did not use magecraft either. It used fusion energy. That alone proved that the Type-Moon World did not necessarily require magical energy; one could take another path and use different energy to cast magic. It simply still needed to be tested.

"Caren, work hard. I'll be relying on you for some matters. For now, I need to spend some time talking with the Holy Church." Mo Li smiled warmly and patted Caren on the shoulder. "Since you haven't gone down that road yet, your life is still in your own hands. Once your Saint Mark awakens, it won't be so easy for me to get you out of the Holy Church."

Caren looked somewhat confused. "I have a Saint Mark?"

For the past few years, she had lived almost entirely within the Holy Church. The only books she could access were church scriptures, so she knew very well what a Saint Mark meant.

Caren said hesitantly, "Can the daughter of a sinner have a Saint Mark?"

Her mother had committed suicide, making her a sinner in the eyes of the Holy Church, and the daughter of a sinner was likewise subjected to all kinds of hostility.

"Yes. If others find out that you have a Saint Mark, your life in the Holy Church will become miserable. Work hard. I'll be leaving for a while."

Caren watched Mo Li leave the room, then looked up at the several piles of magecraft tomes and murmured, "I have a Saint Mark?"

In the corridor, Mo Li silently called out to the system.

"System, how far has the absorption of that transmigrator's personal system progressed?"

Progress: 10%. Due to this system being damaged, absorption progress is slow.

"Good grief, this thing is damaged too... How long until the absorption is complete?"

Seven days.

"Fine. Let me think... Perhaps I should pay the Einzbern Family a visit and see whether a transmigrator has appeared over there."

Two days later.

Looking at the information on the computer, Irisviel cried out in surprise, "The current head of the Matou Family wants to visit the Einzbern Family?"

Looking at the information on the computer, Kiritsugu Emiya recalled the intelligence on the Matou Family. "The bond between the three families is indeed enough to justify visits, but with only half a year left before the Holy Grail War, why does he want to come here? What exactly is his objective?"

Irisviel asked, "Then should we agree to let him visit?"

Kiritsugu Emiya said, "He did not state his objective in this visit request. But as one of the families that established the Holy Grail War, he must have his own special intentions. Perhaps we should contact him before making a decision."

For the sake of victory in the Holy Grail War, the Einzbern Family had already delegated considerable authority. Unless it was a major matter, Kiritsugu Emiya could make the decision himself.

Kiritsugu Emiya's gaze shifted to the contact information. "I hope he comes with goodwill, but for the moment, we are not in a position to meet him. As the head of the Matou Family, he poses an even greater threat than those participants."

Before long, Kiritsugu Emiya sent his reply.

Inside the Matou Family residence in Fuyuki City.

"Huh? They won't let me visit? Fine, then." After reading the reply, Mo Li sent another message.

Inside Winter Castle.

Kiritsugu Emiya looked at the reply, and his expression suddenly turned awful. "There may be a problem with the Holy Grail War. During an inspection by the current head of the Matou Family, he discovered that the Third Magic Celestial Cup system seemed to differ from the planned Celestial Cup. He hopes that we won't be too impatient for success when participating in the Holy Grail War?!"

Irisviel was startled as well. "What? There's a problem with the Celestial Cup?"

Kiritsugu Emiya's expression was grim. "At least, that is what the head of the Matou Family says."

Irisviel said, "Then let's ask the old head of the family."

Mo Li looked at his visitor. "Kirei Kotomine, what do you want by coming to the Matou Family at a time like this?"

Kirei Kotomine looked rather troubled. "Over the past two days, I spent some time verifying it. I truly can feel pleasure from it, but it seems that when others fall into suffering, I also feel happy. I thought perhaps you could give me an answer."

Mo Li said indifferently, "Oh, that's nothing. It's only human nature—one of humanity's inherent flaws. When people see others doing badly, even worse than themselves, they feel happy about it. It's a mentality commonly known as comparing who has it worse. I may be doing badly, but as long as someone else has it even worse, that's enough. Other people's suffering becomes the source of my happiness. It just proves that you're normal too, Kirei."

Kirei Kotomine seemed to let out a sigh of relief as he said more easily, "So this is merely normal human nature?"

"Of course. As a member of the Holy Church, verifying it should be simple for you. Just gather some relevant materials and you'll find plenty of cases."

Kirei Kotomine nodded. "If I use the Holy Church's resources, I can indeed verify it. I believe Japan has enough cases for me to reference."

Mo Li said with a smile, "Then let me tell you another way to gain pleasure from other people's suffering. It doesn't involve torture, and it certainly isn't any kind of sinful act."

Kirei Kotomine was tempted. After taking a deep breath, he said, "No, I should not enjoy such behavior. Even pain brings suffering to others, and a bad mood makes life less beautiful..."

"You misunderstand, Kirei Kotomine. Do you know the Crimson Banquet Hall?"

"The Crimson Banquet Hall?" Kirei Kotomine froze for a moment, then said seriously, "I do know it. The Mapo Tofu there left a deep impression on me. It is not something ordinary people can challenge."

Mo Li raised an eyebrow. There really was a Crimson Banquet Hall here—an unexpected gain. Seeing that Kirei Kotomine knew of it, he said, "Then this is easy. If you can learn their Mapo Tofu recipe and surpass them, open your own Mapo Ramen shop, set up a challenge that you think ordinary people are unfit to attempt, and watch arrogant people come to challenge it—only to be defeated by the food and suffer for it—you can gain pleasure from it. Everyone wins."

Kirei Kotomine was confused for a while before suddenly understanding. "I see. I should put up a sign that is practically deliberate provocation, watch people come to challenge the place in indignation, and then see them lose and suffer as a result. This method truly works! I can gain pleasure from their suffering, yet they will not die because of it. If they are unwilling to accept it, they will return to challenge it again and continue providing me with even more enjoyment."

The confusion was swept from Kirei Kotomine's face. His gaze was clear as he said, "Thank you very much for your suggestion. I already know what to do!"

Mo Li said with a smile, "As long as you know what you're doing. Also, I have a favor to ask. Take me to the Crimson Banquet Hall. I've been looking for it, but I just couldn't find it."

"Is that all? Of course. We can leave right now."

"Mm."

Crimson Banquet Hall. Mo Li had long known that this Chinese restaurant was on the Miyama Town shopping street, but for some reason, he simply could not find it.

Here resided the immortal Hanba, Tian Nü Ba, daughter of Xuanyuan.

Any rule about Mystery diminishing was nothing but a joke before them; it could only restrict this era outside the Age of Gods. Immortals were opening restaurants and having fun right in Fuyuki City.

It was just that Mo Li seemed to have arrived at a bad time.

Led by Kirei Kotomine, Mo Li pushed open the door. The storefront that had been overlooked until now, Crimson Banquet Hall, truly appeared before his eyes.

After the two entered, the petite manager in a red cheongsam, with twin buns atop her head, was dealing with a... corpse.

Tian Nü Ba looked at them, her expression quite helpless. "Oh my, you came at a rather bad time. This is truly troublesome."

Kirei Kotomine's pupils contracted. In his impression, this manager had never displayed such brutality before!

Mo Li looked at the corpse on the ground. "Why did you kill this guy? Was there something wrong with him? A transmigrator? Or a reincarnator?"

Kirei Kotomine looked at Mo Li strangely. This man did not seem worried at all, and the terms he was using were rather odd.

Tian Nü Ba looked at Mo Li curiously. "Huh? You actually guessed his identity. Come to think of it, who are you?"

"The current head of the Matou Family, Mo Li."

"Another transmigrator. But unlike this guy, you don't seem to be so unaware of your place, so I'll forgive you for crossing worlds without permission~" Tian Nü Ba glanced down at the corpse. The corpse was instantly vaporized by the sudden eruption of extreme heat from within it, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.

Mo Li continued, "What did this transmigrator do for you to kill him?"

Tian Nü Ba revealed a captivating smile. "Well~ this guy thought very highly of himself. He wanted to make me his girlfriend. Although there really was something about him that drew attention, he felt far too good about himself. Note that I said he wanted to make me his girl, not pursue me. So it shouldn't be hard to guess what someone like him would do, right? He tried to get handsy with me, and then he deservedly ended up lying on the floor. Even before he died, he still couldn't believe why I didn't throw myself at him~"

Mo Li said wearily, "Since he could come here, he definitely knew your identity and understood who you really were. For him to still feel so good about himself... his confidence really was through the roof."

If only this transmigrator had come to seek death from me. At least then those ten thousand Fate Points wouldn't have gone to waste. Wasn't Matou Sakura from the Matou Family appealing enough? Though she was still a loli now...

Tian Nü Ba, the Emperor's daughter, had lived for at least five thousand years, perhaps even far longer. Across that enormous span of time, she had witnessed countless cycles of the human world and generations upon generations of heroes and exceptional figures, yet none had ever caught Tian Nü Ba's eye.

Moreover, as one of the immortals, she could see the development of countless Worldlines. If she truly wished to find a husband, what made this transmigrator think he could surpass those heroes and exceptional figures?

Transmigrators were nothing unusual to Tian Nü Ba. Even Fujimaru Ritsuka, whose performance was extraordinarily outstanding, was merely one line of development among countless Worldlines to the immortals watching him save humanity. They had already watched Fujimaru Ritsuka save the world countless times.