Everyone's Whereabouts (2)

He turned his head cautiously, and then Waver felt something cold touch his forehead. The little thing landed on the ground, rolled around a few times, and then came to a stop.

"Pick it up."

Kayneth commanded his disciple in an unquestionable tone.

Left with no other option, Waver obeyed his mentor's orders, crouching down to pick up the "little thing." Once he had it in his hands, Waver expressed his surprise with a voice that said:

"This is..."

"If you encounter some ignorant people, just show them this."

In Waver's hand was a hard, ornament-like emblem, but that wasn't unusual. What surprised Waver was that the emblem was engraved with the unique sigil of the "El-Melloi," meaning this thing was—

A token representing the El-Melloi clan.

In that instant, Waver felt an immense weight in the object in his hand.

"There's no need for that."

Seeing Waver's somber expression, Kayneth couldn't help but laugh, "It's just a token. If you encounter someone you can't mess with, this thing can serve as a decoration."

"Can--"

Although Kayneth said that, Waver knew very well that this trump card was still too heavy a burden for him.

The mere name of Lord El-Melloi was enough to intimidate those scheming villains in the shadows, not to mention the token in his hand that represented the entire family.

"No buts!"

The unquestionable tone spoke volumes about the speaker's attitude. Kayneth looked at his disciple, displaying for the first time today the majesty befitting Lord:

"Does the person the King of Conquerors has taken a liking to lack even this much responsibility?"

"I--"

The words of rebuttal stuck in his throat, but the surging emotions within him were already showing signs of erupting.

Although some time has passed since the Holy Grail War, Waver still often recalls the details of the Fourth Holy Grail War, thinking of Rider and his promise to the King. Sometimes he feels as if it were a dream, that he, so weak, actually had the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the King and receive the highest recognition.

Keep it up, kid.

That imposing figure and radiant kingly presence conveyed to him an inexhaustible sense of courage and strength.

Waver forced himself to straighten his back and stand at attention, as if his very bones were filled with fighting spirit:

"I'll show you!"

After saying that, Waver didn't give Kayneth a chance to speak again, and turned and ran out of the room.

Watching Waver's departing figure, Kayneth shook his head helplessly.

In short, hopefully this trip will have some positive impact on him.

A few minutes later, Kayneth, having snapped out of his thoughts, suddenly seemed to remember something and turned his gaze to a cabinet deep inside the room.

Standing before the cabinet, secured by both physical and Magecraft means, Kayneth carefully unlocked it and took out a box containing a broken spearhead.

Kayneth looked at the contents of the box with an inscrutable gaze.

After a long while, a soft sigh echoed in Lord El-Melloi's office.

By the way, I'd like to recommend <Hank Beast's Digital Adventure>.

Synopsis: This is the story of Jesmon, one of the Royal Knights, growing up...

This is a thrilling story about a Digimon's growth and adventure to become the strongest, encountering all sorts of companions along the way...

Chapter 139. The Movements of the Crowd (Part Two)

"Is this the right place?"

In an apartment complex in Tokyo, a man looked at the address he had written down and muttered to himself. Passersby occasionally glanced back at him, noticing his slightly strange behavior, but he himself didn't seem to care.

[This should be the place according to what Wang Jun said on the phone.]

A gentle voice suddenly rang in his ear, but at that moment, the man was alone nearby.

--Is it an auditory hallucination?

But the man remained indifferent, seemingly accustomed to the sounds around him.

The man nodded in response:

"Okay, let's go up then."

Okay~

Following the winding staircase, the man arrived at the address written on the note, reached out and rang the doorbell. A short while later, he heard a "familiar" voice coming from inside:

"Here it comes--"

A series of clattering sounds came from inside the house, followed by a "click" as a small head peeked out from the crack in the open door.

Upon seeing the man standing outside the door, the child's eyes suddenly lit up:

"Mr. Emiya!"

Emiya Kiritsugu?

That Magus Killer?

"I remember your name is..."

[This child's name is Shirou ~]

The gentle voice reminded the man.

"Shirou, right?"

Emiya Kiritsugu crouched down, gazing at the little boy before him, and asked gently. With his faint smile, no one would believe that this man was the infamous, feared Magus Killer.

"Um."

Seeing that Emiya Kiritsugu recognized him, Little Shirou nodded and opened the door to welcome Kiritsugu into the house.

Where is your father?

As soon as they entered the entrance hall, Emiya Kiritsugu asked Shirou a question, but seeing Shirou's hesitant expression as he looked at the living room, Kiritsugu's heart sank slightly, and he walked past Little Shirou towards the living room.

However, as he walked down the corridor into the living room, Kiritsugu realized that things were not developing as he had imagined.

A woman who looked to be in her early twenties was sitting on the sofa in the living room, chatting and laughing with the child that Wang Xiaoming had previously adopted from the Matou House. The child did not seem to be unwilling.

After Kiritsugu walked in, the woman turned her gaze towards him.

"Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"Um."

Upon hearing the woman call out his name, Emiya Kiritsugu nodded silently, then glanced at her.

Wearing glasses, with her long red hair tied in a ponytail hanging down her back, and a simple white shirt that accentuated her curves—a rare sight for an Eastern woman—she exuded the aura of an urban professional.

Although she was dressed like a sophisticated urban woman, Emiya Kiritsugu's intuition, honed through countless life-or-death experiences, told him that the woman before him was incredibly dangerous.

"As expected, there's a letter for you on the table."

Kiritsugu's somewhat scrutinizing gaze, the woman gestured with her eyes to an unopened letter on the living room table.

Kiritsugu, sensing no malice, reached out and took the letter from the table, then unfolded it:

Foreword,

The world is so big, I want to see it.

So I'll be asking you to look after the two kids for a while now~ (??ω?? )?

(Also, this woman is the doll maker Kayneth introduced me to. She made my prosthetic leg, so you know what I mean!)

Wang Xiaoming left

"..."

Emiya Kiritsugu had just finished reading the letter, seemed still immersed in shock, but then the woman opposite him spoke:

"My name is Aozaki Touko, and I'm a puppeteer."

Aozaki Touko, ranked as Grand Magecraft by the Clock Tower, is also the world's number one puppeteer.

Information about [Aozaki Touko] subconsciously surfaced in Kiritsugu's mind, though he wondered why she was here... Wait!

Emiya Kiritsugu's usually calm expression suddenly wavered. The Puppeteer... Could it be?!

Kiritsugu looked up abruptly, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes as he gazed at the woman. However, Aozaki Touko didn't keep him in suspense. She pulled out a cigarette case from her pocket, skillfully took out a cigarette, and was about to light it when she suddenly remembered the child beside her. She forced herself to stop smoking and put the cigarette back in her pocket.

"Although I've already learned the general situation from that guy, I still need to observe the specifics firsthand before making a decision."

After hearing these words, Emiya Kiritsugu remained silent for a moment before placing his hand on his chest. A golden, yet not dazzling, light shone from Kiritsugu chest, and when the light faded, a golden scabbard appeared in his hand.

However, this was not the end. With the appearance of the Golden Scabbard, golden spiritual particles suddenly began to appear in the room, gradually weaving together a pure white figure.

"Oh, it's Iris. Alice!"

Shirou had returned to Sakura's side, immediately recognized Irisviel, with whom he had spent a brief time, and Sakura couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"This... this is--"

Unlike the two children's amazement, although she had vaguely heard about [Irisviel] from Wang Xiaoming, the shock she felt from hearing about it was completely different from seeing it with her own eyes.

"Hello, Ms. Aozaki, I'm Irisviel, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman in pure white bowed to Aozaki Touko, who was still in shock.

"Although there's suspicion that it relies on a sacred object, there's no doubt that it's a physical entity!!! Could it be—"

Aozaki Touko turned her surprised gaze to Kiritsugu, seemingly hoping for a definite answer, but all she received was a bitter smile from the man:

"The Third Magic... perhaps..."

Irisviel is currently only "residing" in "Avalon," and can only manifest Irisviel through the magic of "Avalon," and this ability doesn't last long. That's why Emiya Kiritsugu sealed "Avalon" within his own body, and used this method to communicate with his lover.

If this can be considered a "Third Magic," then it can only be considered a half-baked "Third Magic."

That's why Emiya Kiritsugu hoped to find a "container" for Irisviel 'Irisviel soul.

However, the soul is a delicate and fragile thing, even for androids. Once the vessel found is even slightly incompatible with the soul, the soul will suffer irreversible damage. For the specific consequences of a damaged soul, please refer to... Zouken Matou.

Emiya Kiritsugu wasn't without hope in the Einzbern main family. Irisviel's body was originally created by the main family, so if they could create the first one, they could naturally create the second.

However, being able to do something doesn't necessarily mean being willing to do it.

Leaving aside the cost of Irisviel's body, as the vessel for the Lesser Grail, its cost was naturally considerable.

There was another matter that was causing Emiya Kiritsugu great anxiety:

--I fear I've been branded a traitor by Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the Einzbern Castle.

The Einzbern Family was isolated from the world, with very few avenues for obtaining information. Given that the other surviving Master remained tight-lipped about the outcome of the Holy Grail War, their understanding of the Holy Grail War's result was likely limited to the superficial conclusion that "Saber destroyed the Holy Grail." Without knowing the full story, concluding that "Emiya Kiritsugu was a traitor" was perfectly understandable.

Now, half a month has passed since the end of the Holy Grail War, and during this time, Emiya Kiritsugu has not received any instructions from the Einzbern, which probably reflects their family's attitude.

But, Illya...

The thought of his daughter enduring loneliness in that snow-covered castle, and even being implicated because of his actions, caused Emiya Kiritsugu a sudden pang of pain in his heart.

If it weren't for Wang Xiaoming's phone call that brought him here, Emiya Kiritsugu would probably already be on a plane to Germany.

However, now is not the time to talk about these things. Turning his gaze back to the "Grand" puppeteer in front of him, Emiya Kiritsugu silently awaited her reply.

"If it's just about customizing dolls that are compatible with one's soul, that's not a problem for me."

The puppeteer of the "Grand" spoke calmly, but his confidence was evident:

"However, let's talk about the payment before that. You know, custom-made dolls aren't cheap."

As she spoke, Aozaki Touko reached out and took off her glasses, revealing that her previously gentle demeanor had instantly turned stern and cold.