During his years in Britain, Shirou had learned stories such as the legends of the Knights of the Round Table through "Drifters," but he knew virtually nothing about his homeland, Pan-Human History.
If he wanted to understand the world from scratch, it would take several years.
That was no problem. Shirou was only seven this year, and he had plenty of time.
The problem was that magecraft in this world seemed to regard "secrecy" as its supreme principle.
Even if he wanted to learn more, Shirou, an orphan with neither parents nor connections, had no way to do so.
But now, he had obtained a database called Zouken Matou.
The genius mage Makiri would answer all his questions, saving him five hundred years of effort in one stroke. What a pleasure.
"Sorry, Sakura. Sorry for the wait."
Seeing everything the red-haired boy had done moments earlier, Sakura Matou naturally felt afraid of him. But she immediately remembered that Shirou had just saved her from the swarm of worms.
Recalling the sturdy arm that had held her close, warmth filled the girl's heart.
"Brother Shirou, thank you for saving me."
"Yeah. Let's go back."
"Okay, okay."
Sakura quickly caught up with him while sneaking glances at the toy Little Yellow Duck in Shirou's hand.
"Ah, sorry. It's your grandfather, after all. It was rude of me to keep holding him. Here, take him."
Shirou tossed the Little Yellow Duck over, but Sakura dodged to the side with a look of disgust, letting "Grandfather" fall to the ground.
"Please don't throw that sort of thing at me, Brother Shirou."
"That sort of thing!?"
The girl's utterly cold tone left the boy deeply dejected.
After taking Sakura back to her room, Shirou knocked on Tsuruno Matou's door.
Starting tomorrow, he would be the new head of the Matou Family.
Volume One 012: The Visitor
The next day, Shinji learned that his grandfather had gone abroad on a trip.
The Matou Family was finally able to enjoy a brief return to peace.
For the next period of time, Shirou Amamiya continued staying at the Matou residence.
Under Tsuruno Matou's arrangements, he obtained identification and enrolled in an elementary school in Fuyuki City, becoming Sakura and Shinji's schoolmate.
During the day, he went to school with the Matou siblings and studied the knowledge of this world.
At night, he obtained information about the mysteries of Pan-Human History through the "Magic Terminal Makiri."
Before long, Shirou Amamiya learned of the secret ritual known as the Fuyuki Holy Grail War—
as well as its deeper, darker secrets.
The Holy Grail War.
A secret magecraft ritual held once every sixty years, based on Fuyuki City's enormous spiritual leyline.
The participants were seven mages and seven Heroic Spirits—Servants—who manifested through a Spirit Evocation Ritual.
These seven pairs would fight one another until only one victorious pair remained—
At the heart of the magecraft ritual was the Holy Grail, known as the "Omnipotent Wish Machine."
That was the information available on the surface.
Then, through the "Magic Terminal Makiri," Shirou Amamiya obtained top-secret information on a deeper level.
It was the truth of the Holy Grail known only to the magecraft families that founded the Holy Grail War: Einzbern, Matou, and Tohsaka.
The "Omnipotent Wish Machine" was merely a lie spread to conceal the value of the Holy Grail War and reduce the number of powerful competitors.
The Three Founding Families had created the Holy Grail War to sacrifice all seven Heroic Spirits and reach the Vortex of the Root.
The so-called Vortex of the Root was the origin-coordinate from which all things came into being.
It was the divine seat that recorded every phenomenon in the world, from the beginning of all things to their end.
"Cause" gave birth to "effect."
"Cause" contained "effect."
Therefore, as long as one reached the "cause," one could learn and manipulate every "effect."
For mages who craved the truth, reaching the Root was their one and ultimate wish.
The Three Founding Families of Fuyuki had concealed the information that "the Holy Grail could open a path to the Root," which was why the Fuyuki Holy Grail War had not attracted the attention of the magecraft world.
"I see. The Vortex of the Root... Morgan once discussed something similar with me..."
Shirou suddenly understood. So that was why she had named his eyes the "Boundless Mage's Eye."
"Reaching the origin" and "reaching the end."
The two phrases seemed completely opposite, yet on the level of magecraft, they held the same meaning.
"But now that I think about it, the Fae world didn't even have a magecraft civilization. How did Morgan know such profound information?"
Although he would probably never meet her again, Shirou still felt a trace of awe toward his savior.
"It's me, Tsuruno Matou."
That evening, Tsuruno Matou came to the study where Shirou had recently been spending most of his time.
Ever since that night, he had never again treated Shirou as an ordinary seven-year-old child.
To him, Zouken Matou had been a terrifying and absolute symbol of authority.
Yet the monster that had ruled the Matou Family for centuries had been destroyed near his workshop by a boy who was only seven years old.
Shirou Amamiya was undoubtedly an even more terrifying monster who had devoured that monster...
Although Shirou had said that Tsuruno Matou would manage the Matou Family from now on, the man could not truly believe that things were so simple.
Tsuruno had once effectively served as Zouken Matou's secretary, and his work had not changed much. There was merely one additional task—
teaching Shinji and Sakura the basics of magecraft.
That was the only task Shirou Amamiya had given him.
Although saying this as their biological father felt somewhat inappropriate, did Shinji really have any reason to learn magecraft?
Tsuruno genuinely could not understand his thinking.
In that case, the true head of the Matou Family would probably be chosen from among the two of them.
Shinji was a son with absolutely no talent.
The daughter of the Tohsaka Family was a once-in-a-century genius.
The difference between them was enormous, but—
who would become the next head of the Matou Family now seemed to depend entirely on a single thought from Shirou Amamiya.
"Then, what do you plan to do?"
"Huh?"
Tsuruno Matou hurriedly clarified, "I mean the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War."
"Ah, right. Matou is one of the Three Founding Families. We have to make preparations."
The red-haired boy looked at the man. "Zouken is gone, Tsuruno. Are you going to participate?"
Tsuruno Matou shook his head violently. With his talent in magecraft, there was a high chance that even a Command Spell would not manifest for him.
"Then no one from the Matou Family will participate." Shirou sounded disappointed.
To be honest, he was rather interested in the Holy Grail War.
A "Holy Grail" capable of granting any wish, an omnipotent wish machine, a hole leading to the Root... None of that was interesting. It was incredibly dull.
Shirou was mainly interested in the existence known as Heroic Spirits.
Gauging the boy's thoughts, Tsuruno Matou said quietly, "Couldn't you participate yourself...?"
Shirou thought to himself, I don't have any wish I want the Holy Grail to grant for me, so the Holy Grail won't choose me...
"Shirou! Come play! I bought a new card game!"
"Brother Shirou! Where are you?"
The voices of Shinji Matou and Sakura Matou interrupted his thoughts.
Ah, elementary schoolers should act like elementary schoolers. Enjoy your childhood properly.
Shirou walked toward the siblings. Just then, a loud bang! came from the entrance.
"Zouken!!! Get out here!!!"
A young man in sportswear roared from the entrance hall of the Matou residence.
Shirou shielded Sakura and Shinji behind him, thinking helplessly, What is it this time?
The young man who stormed into the Western-style mansion was named Kariya Matou.
Although he did not have the family's trademark wakame-purple hair, he was undeniably a member of the Matou bloodline. He had left home and severed relations with the family ten years ago.
"What? You're saying that old vampire who can't show his face went abroad? Do you think you can fool me with that kind of lie, Tsuruno!?"
"Believe it or not! Could you stop shouting at the entrance? After all this time, how dare you come back here?"
Kariya Matou and Tsuruno began shouting the moment the brothers met.
"Sakura!"
Kariya Matou noticed the girl hiding behind Shirou. He shoved Tsuruno Matou aside and rushed over.
"Eek!"
Kariya Matou's expression was so fierce and agitated that Shinji let out a strange cry of fright.
"Sakura! Zouken didn't do anything to you, did he?"
The young man dropped to his knees and tightly gripped the girl's arm.
"Mm... Uncle Kariya... it hurts..."
Sakura Matou's face showed some pain.
At that moment, a hand was gently placed on the young man's shoulder.
"I understand how you feel. Sakura is fine, so calm down for now."
As Shirou spoke, he rapidly blinked his eyes.
Having seen what happened just now, he more or less understood the situation.
For Kariya Matou, who had awakened his Fervent Skill, reason probably would not work. So he would have to use a more aggressive method—
Shirou infused his words with the power of suggestion.
"All right..."
The young man nodded blankly, then followed him to the reception room.
There, Kariya Matou, forcibly calmed by magecraft, listened as the situation was explained.
Sakura Matou had not been harmed.
And the evil spirit that had hung over the Matou Family—the evil spirit known as Zouken Matou—had already been exorcised.
Before you continue