Chapter 566

Despite sensing the exclusion and malice around him, Bazett still took the initiative to complete various troublesome tasks that were being pushed aside.

She naively believed that the more tasks she completed, the more attention she would receive from those around her, and fantasized that one day she would stand out from the crowd.

She, in this way, is about to face her destiny in the Far East.

--

Volume 8: Chapter 358 A Beauty in Male Attire, A Woman's Rapid Fall?

Bazett Fraga MacRemys is a very traditional Magecraft.

Before each mission, she would meticulously set up the outposts step by step.

Finding a stronghold with abundant spiritual energy and suitable for defense in a modern city is not easy, but fortunately, Bazett has obtained some information about the first three Holy Grail War from the Association.

The Third Holy Grail War, sixty years ago.

Besides the Three Founding Families — Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern —there was another special participant who witnessed the ceremony.

From the renowned Finland family of Jewel Magic, Edelfelt.

Although their history as Magecraft is not long, they are already infamous for the derogatory title of "the Most Beautiful Hyena in the World." This time, they have set their sights on the Holy Grail in Fuyuki City as their treasure hunt target.

Because of the unique nature of Edelfelt's Magecraft, the two sisters were sent to participate in the ceremony that time.

They built two Western-style mansions in Miyama Town and Shinto, which was then still a forest, each operating independently.

They're sisters, yet their relationship is so bad that they don't even want to breathe the same air... This kind of thing is quite common in the world of Magecraft.

As expected, the younger sister died in the ceremony, while the older sister survived. There were even rumors that the younger sister's death was the result of the sisters fighting each other.

After the Third Holy Grail War, the then head of the Edelfelt family swore never to set foot in Fuyuki City again, and ownership of the mansion was transferred to the Mage's Association.

The stronghold that Bazett Fraga MacRemis intends to use is one of those twin mansions.

The Female Magus with short, magenta hair stood straight in front of the door, glancing around at the luxurious mansion where she would be staying.

Sixty years have passed since then.

No matter how magnificent it was built to show off wealth, now only ruins are visible everywhere.

The paint on the walls had peeled off, revealing mottled bricks. The garden in the courtyard was long overgrown with weeds, and the entire mansion was shrouded in a deathly silence, like a forgotten tomb.

Bazett took the key from the inside pocket of his suit.

The key was obtained directly from the association.

The mansion had been owned by the association for sixty years, so Bazett's actions did not constitute trespassing.

She entered the mansion with dignity and composure.

The main hall was bathed in sunlight and not as gloomy as he had imagined, which improved Bazett's mood considerably.

"Anyway, let's inspect all the rooms first."

Bazett strolled through the mansion, first opening all the doors and windows of the first floor, then using Magecraft to blow away the smell of rotting wood.

She walked through each room, checking for any possible Magecraft traps and mechanisms.

As an experienced executor, she wouldn't overlook any suspicious details.

"--Squeak."

"!"

Bazett turned toward the corridor leading to the second floor.

Was that... someone?

The noise coming from the second floor did not escape Bazett's ears.

She put on her black leather combat gloves and cautiously climbed to the second floor.

They walked to the room from which the noise was coming from.

Bazett pushed open the door, and there, huddled in a dark corner, was—

"Mouse?"

Bazett blinked, stunned.

"Seriously, don't scare people."

The Female Magus breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door again.

The subsequent examinations went very smoothly.

As evening fell, Bazett successfully completed the work of setting up the barrier around the mansion, and then returned to the room he had chosen for himself.

She loosened the tie that was tightly binding her shirt, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began to look through the relevant information about the mission.

The documents she brought with her have been checked countless times by now.

Bazett is a perfectionist and a workaholic.

The reason she joined the Mage's Association against her parents' wishes was because she didn't want to waste her life in obscurity.

When she was very young, she happened to read the legend of Cú Chulainn, an ancient story widely circulated in her country, in the study, and she longed to have such a brilliant life.

Of course, dreams are dreams, and reality is never quite what we want.

When Bazett, who was a "Gods Holder," first joined the Mage's Association, he received a warm welcome.

However, that was merely a formality. Due to the hidden power struggle within the association, while a dazzling aura was needed to project an image to the outside world, overly brilliant newcomers were more resistant to incompetent subordinates than to those who were not capable.

Therefore, she actually had nowhere to go.

Bazett was unwilling to be forgotten, so she kept taking on all sorts of dangerous and troublesome tasks that others were unwilling to accept, hoping to gain the appreciation of those around her.

Unbeknownst to her, she became the Sealing Designation Enforcer.

Before she knew it, she began to be known as the strongest Sealing Designation Enforcer of the modern era.

Even so, Bazett's situation did not change.

To others, she was Magecraft with no special skills other than fighting.

In his own view, Bazett also felt inferior about himself for only knowing how to fight.

In the world of Magecraft, marriage is a common way to climb the social ladder, but that path is also out of reach for Bazett.

She had no interest in men and believed deep down that men wouldn't be interested in her because she lacked any feminine charm.

Where is my way out...?

Will the situation change after this mission is completed...? Probably not.

Bazett stopped his wandering thoughts and turned his gaze to the documents in his hand.

I'm reviewing this report again, after reading it countless times.

Name: Shirou Amamiya

Age: 16

Eight years ago, he was drawn into the Fourth Holy Grail War as an ordinary person with no Magecraft experience and won.

This short line of text is filled with an indescribable sense of absurdity.

Participating in the Holy Grail War... at the age of 8? And they even won?

This alone is not enough to explain his abnormality.

After that, Shirou Amamiya participated in several major events that even alarmed the Clock Tower.

Arisu Kyōnoji's First Magic awakening.

Aoko Aozaki's Fifth Magic Inheritance.

For the first time in the association's history, the Sealing Designation Grand Doll Master Touko Aozaki has been lifted.

The destruction of the twenty-seventh Ancestor, Nero Chaos, and Freud Alhanger.

Wait a minute... Shirou Amamiya was involved in all of these major events.

Although there is no clear evidence, Bazett believes the report is highly credible.

Shirou Amamiya's experiences to date can be described as legendary, in stark contrast to the unknown Bazett.

It's impossible to say I wasn't envious at all.

It's just about participating in the Holy Grail War and winning...

Bazett believed he was second to none in combat against any Magecraft or familiar, but... was strength truly all that was needed?

Judging from Shirou Amamiya's resume to date, what he possesses is far more than just extraordinary strength.

Tohsaka, Matou, Einzbern, Archibald...

The Magecraft families that were once his Shirou Amamiya later became his allies.

Aoko Aozaki, Touko Aozaki, Arisu Kyōnoji...

Witches, known for their unconventional ways of doing things in the Magecraft world, all fell for him.

The legendary charisma of a leader...?

That alone is not enough to explain it.

Bazett found it incomprehensible.

Ultimately, she simply didn't understand men.

In her past missions, she always tried to avoid contact with men.

For this first investigation mission... where should we even begin?

The Female Magus stared intently at the photograph in the file.

Red hair, golden eyes.

Her appearance, even compared to East Asians, is youthful and her features are very soft...

Is this the kind of face that women find attractive?

Bazett certainly didn't understand, but surprisingly, he didn't feel any dislike.

She even thought the face looked somewhat... pleasing to the eye?

No, it's probably because I've seen it so many times that it feels familiar.

"... Amamiya, Shirou."

She touched the photo of the red-haired boy with her fingers, as if trying to understand the mission objective through the photo.

"--,--,--,--"

The sounds resembled clapping or applause, with a regular rhythm, interspersed with strange human voices.

Bazett vaguely heard the sound and slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I...?"

I can't remember.

She felt ashamed of her laziness.

He was clearly awake, but his consciousness and reason hadn't returned; he had already failed as a soldier.

"Mmm... uh..."

The Female Magus channeled her strength into her heavy head, hands, and feet.

Raise your arms to slightly prop up your body, which is lying face down.

Bazett found himself seemingly lying in bed, surrounded by darkness.

How long did she sleep exactly?

As she struggled to piece together her memory and recall where she was, a sharp, throbbing pain shot through her temple.

My head is throbbing, like the morning after a terrible drunken stupor.

So... this is...