The Long-Awaited Encounter

Looking at the silver beast opposite her, which was in a defensive posture, a strange emotion flashed deep in Touko Aozaki's eyes, hidden behind her glasses.

"What an animal to miss."

Leaning against the tree, Touko Aozaki gently stroked the belly of the beautifully furred beast that was leaning against her.

"You're really easy to talk to. You know, Beo isn't as careless as you."

Feeling the warmth in her palm, Touko Aozaki's tone became somewhat rambling.

Beowulf, a golden werewolf, was once a familiar of Touko Aozaki. Long ago, due to her younger sister's misbehavior, Touko Aozaki's contract with Beowulf was dissolved.

Although Beo had said he would be available whenever needed, Touko Aozaki decided not to bother him after considering Beo's nature.

The chance encounter with this beast, which resembled Beo, stirred up some of Touko Aozaki's past memories.

"Huh?"

The silver beast, clearly unable to comprehend such complex emotions, could only soothe itself by gently rubbing its head against the human who offered it comfort, as if—

"Master?"

A gentle voice reached Touko Aozaki's ears.

Not far from her, a simply dressed "human" appeared in Touko Aozaki's line of sight.

The long, green hair that reached her waist and the overly beautiful face made Touko Aozaki think at first glance that the person standing in front of her was an absolutely stunning young woman. However, the muscular physique that was vaguely revealed under the hem of her clothes made Touko Aozaki doubt her previous assumption.

However, now is clearly not the time to think about this. Since the other party has chosen to appear before me, I cannot be impolite.

So, putting aside her somewhat impolite thoughts, Touko Aozaki asked the other person.

"Are you the owner of this forest?"

While it wasn't exactly rude, it was certainly not a proper greeting. However, the other person didn't seem to mind, and instead gave Touko Aozaki a gentle smile.

"I am not the owner of this place. I am only temporarily using this place to heal my Master's wounds after obtaining permission."

"Master?"

Touko Aozaki was taken aback by what the other person said.

Although she already knew the other party's identity Servant from his words, Touko Aozaki couldn't detect any other traces of anyone else, neither in front of her nor within her own perception range.

Unless--

Touko Aozaki looked down at the silver beast lying beside her. In response, the beast tilted its head and looked back.

"Huh?"

Why did you choose that dog?!

Touko Aozaki, suddenly recalling the words of the Magecraft she had just met, reached out and gently brushed aside the fur of the beast in front of her.

"Okay, I see..."

When the three crimson Command Spell, concealed by silver fur, came into view, Touko Aozaki shook her head with a wry smile.

The truth of the matter is not hard to understand. It is roughly that the catalyst originally intended for the summoning ritual was identified as the "Master" by the Holy Grail System.

In fact, this kind of thing is not uncommon. Didn't someone accidentally participate in the Holy Grail War ten years ago in the same way? Touko Aozaki was just bound by the stereotype that "Master must be human".

"So, you've been watching from there the whole time?"

"Because I didn't sense any killing intent from either you or my Master."

The long-haired Heroic Spirit, with a gentle smile, spoke these words. However, Touko Aozaki understood another layer of meaning—

In other words, whoever harbors even the slightest murderous intent will likely be the one who suffers the consequences.

"That's quite an overbearing statement."

The long-haired Heroic Spirit's words made Touko Aozaki narrow her eyes slightly.

"After all, the Master had some unpleasant experiences with the Magecraft in the past, so the situation is rather special. However, I think the Master's closeness to you suggests that he considers you a companion or friend."

The long-haired Heroic Spirit continued with a gentle smile:

"Then state your purpose, unknown Magecraft."

"Just a puppeteer passing by."

Remembering something someone used to say, I found the Touko Aozaki amusing and decided to borrow it. Unexpectedly, the long-haired Heroic Spirit showed interest.

"Puppeteer?"

"Only a little bit of skill."

The other person's reaction made Touko Aozaki thoughtful.

Could it be that the person before us is Servant related to [dolls]? But to try to trace their origins back through the long river of history based solely on this [keyword] is really wishful thinking.

However, this can still be considered useful information.

Touko Aozaki, who kept this in mind, asked the other person a question—

"Although it may be presumptuous, could you please tell me what you wish to make after obtaining the Holy Grail?"

Generally speaking, Servant who participate in the Holy Grail War have a desire to make up for regrets from their previous lives. So what exactly is the purpose of this Servant is participating in this Holy Grail War?

"I regret to inform you that I have no particular wish. My response to this summons is solely due to my Master's sake."

The long-haired Heroic Spirit revealed an extremely gentle smile.

"I see... In that case, then..."

Touko Aozaki stood up, seemingly preparing to leave. However, as if remembering something, she stopped, turned around, and asked the Heroic Spirit a question.

Do you have any intention of letting me leave?

"Certainly."

"She's so easy to talk to."

The other person's attitude brought a pleasant smile to Touko Aozaki's face.

"I'm just not confident that I can keep you here without harming my Master."

The long-haired Heroic Spirit shook his head slightly.

Through his highest-level skill, "Sensing Aura," he knew without a doubt that the woman before him was [human].

However, the aura of "something" faintly emanating from her made him slightly wary. It wasn't that he was worried about his own safety, but if a battle were to break out here, it would inevitably affect his Master.

Don't worry about the details.

Touko Aozaki gently patted the head of the wild beast beside her as a farewell, then turned and walked towards the edge of the forest.

Finally, he didn't forget to wave goodbye.

"Since you have no intention of vying for the Holy Grail, as a token of my gratitude for this information, I will truthfully convey this to my husband and ask him to try his best not to disturb you."

"..."

Watching Touko Aozaki's carefree departure, the long-haired Heroic Spirit left behind seemed lost in thought.

Sorry for the delay.

Chapter 397. The Encounter That Was Inevitable

"We've finally arrived."

Wang Xiaoming breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the familiar Beetle appear from around the street corner.

"Oh, it's evening..."

Before Touko Aozaki could even say hello after getting out of the car, she heard Wang Xiaoming's incessant chatter—

"What happened? Didn't you say on the phone that you'd be there in half an hour? Why are you so late? Did you run into trouble on the way?"

"Seriously, where did you come from, old woman?"

Touko Aozaki, having taken off her glasses, rubbed her temples, which were aching from her nagging, and complained.

"Is it alright...?"

"Alright, alright~"

Seeing Wang Xiaoming's speechless expression, Touko Aozaki smiled teasingly. Then, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and she walked up to Wang Xiaoming and brazenly gave him a hug.

"I was a little late because of a minor mishap just now."

A moment later, Touko Aozaki got up from Wang Xiaoming's arms and said this.

Although surprised by the other party's actions, Wang Xiaoming was still drawn to what Touko Aozaki had just said.

"An accident? Was it an encounter with Servant or...?"

"I'll tell you about this later. Right now, shouldn't you lend me a hand and help me carry my luggage upstairs?"

"That's true."

Now that Touko Aozaki is safe and sound in front of him, his belated concern seems somewhat like hindsight.

Thinking of this, Wang Xiaoming shrugged and turned to help Touko Aozaki carry the luggage from the back seat of the car.

But he didn't see that behind him, Touko Aozaki's lips curled up slightly because of someone's concern.

[Crack!]

In a certain room, Medea, who had just witnessed the entire scene through a crystal ball, unconsciously increased the output of her magic. However, the crystal ball in front of her seemed unable to withstand the magic power and shattered directly.

Ignoring the shattered crystal ball, Medea, recalling someone's smiling face, gritted her teeth and spat out that person's name—

"Aozaki... Orange... Zi..."

Lily, who was watching from the sidelines, trembled the entire time.

[Waaaaah, I'm so scary as an adult QAQ!]

Achoo!

Touko Aozaki's sudden sneeze caught the attention of Wang Xiaoming was standing next to her.

"The room was just cleaned, so it's probably still dusty."

Wang Xiaoming said to Touko Aozaki as he helped her carry her luggage to the room.

"It's okay, it's fine."

Touko Aozaki, who didn't consider herself an outsider at all, sat casually on the edge of the bed and stretched vigorously to relax her body, which had become a little stiff from driving for a long time.

"... I'm still here, at least show some respect and maintain your image, okay?"

Looking at the woman in front of him, who seemed to be showing off her beautiful curves, Wang Xiaoming's lips twitched slightly.

"Okay, I understand."

After glancing at Wang Xiaoming, Touko Aozaki, realizing she might have gone a bit too far, obediently put her glasses back on her nose.

Looking at Touko Aozaki, who had switched to her quiet personality, Wang Xiaoming couldn't help but sigh.

"So, regarding that mysterious Servant in the forest you just mentioned..."

During the short journey while Wang Xiaoming helped carry the luggage, Touko Aozaki briefly told Wang Xiaoming about what had happened before and her encounter with the "long-haired Heroic Spirit."

"What, do you already know who they are?"

Upon hearing Wang Xiaoming's words, Touko Aozaki's eyes, hidden behind her glasses, revealed an expression of interest.

After all, being able to encounter a Heroic Spirit related to [Puppet] in the Holy Grail War inevitably filled Touko Aozaki, a puppeteer, with a sense of excitement.

"... If I'm not mistaken, that Servant's true name should be [Enkidu]."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Wang Xiaoming, with a somewhat serious expression, voiced his "guess."

In fact, thanks to Medea, Wang Xiaoming, who had revisited his memories, still had some recollection of the "long-haired Heroic Spirit" mentioned by Touko Aozaki.

Enkidu is an important character in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest narrative poem in human history. He was also Gilgamesh's only close friend and the king of Uruk, a city-state in the Sumerian dynasty of ancient Mesopotamia.