"My little Master is still just a child, Goldie. Don't be so hard on him."
Rider reached out and gently patted Waver on the back as he spoke to Archer, though a hint of amusement lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Waver had finally stopped coughing, but he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it. None of the three kings present, however, blamed him for his blunder.
"Goldie, how is this wine?"
Picking up the ladle again, Rider filled his own cup and Archer's, then asked with a cheerful grin. Waver, who could no longer drink, helpfully picked up the ladle Rider had set down and poured for the others.
"It's passable, as a collection among commoners goes."
After taking an elegant sip, Archer gave his verdict.
"Oh? I think this wine is pretty good."
Rider scratched his chin as he gazed at the wine in his cup, looking somewhat troubled.
"That's only because you're ignorant."
Archer sneered at Rider's taste, making no concession to the fact that he was the King of Conquerors.
Rider didn't seem to mind Archer's attitude. Instead, he looked at him as if Archer had stirred up some desire in him.
"I'm getting more and more curious about your identity, Goldie!"
"If you wish to know who I am, it's simple enough."
Archer took a sip of wine and spoke casually.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
It wasn't just Rider. Saber, Irisviel, and Waver also listened closely to their conversation.
"Bow before the King and beg."
Archer's words plunged the gathering into silence. The air grew so heavy that it was almost hard to breathe. Everyone's eyes turned toward Rider.
"Ah, now that would be difficult."
Contrary to what they'd expected, Rider wasn't enraged by Archer's attitude. He drained his cup of red wine and muttered,
"If you want me to bend the knee, that'll probably be harder than making me die."
"Ha ha ha!"
Archer seemed to like Rider's answer. He laughed freely and applauded, his ruby-red eyes growing more approving as he looked at Rider.
"Rider, I think I should add your head to my treasury."
"Then I'm truly honored!"
Rider laughed just as heartily. After the laughter died down, he suddenly asked a question.
"Tell me, Goldie. If you obtained the Holy Grail, what wish would you make?"
Chapter 53: Tohsaka Tokiomi
"They've actually gathered together to drink..."
Sitting alone in the Tohsaka family's Magecraft workshop, Tohsaka Tokiomi rubbed his forehead in frustration after receiving a report from his apprentice, Kirei Kotomine. He doubted he'd ever understand what those Heroic Spirits were thinking, despite being a proper magus.
"Is it really all right to leave Archer alone?"
Kirei Kotomine's voice came through the Magic Communication Device, sounding a little stiff. Tohsaka Tokiomi gave a wry smile.
"It can't be helped."
He eased back into his chair, but the wide, comfortable armchair did nothing to ease his worries.
"It's a gathering of heroes. How could he ignore questions directed at him?"
After all, Tohsaka Tokiomi, Archer's Master, had gained a deep understanding of the king's temperament over the past few days.
As long as they hadn't figured out Archer's true strength, there was no problem. Fortunately, they'd spent the whole evening competing over drinks. As long as they didn't draw their swords and fight, Archer wouldn't easily reveal his Gate of Babylon.
The Holy Grail War had entered its fourth day, and Tohsaka Tokiomi had yet to leave his residence in Miyama Town. He'd spent several days at home, gathering information about the state of the Holy Grail War. He had his apprentice, Kirei Kotomine, to thank for summoning Assassin.
Thanks to their surveillance of Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Tokiomi had nearly finished investigating the hidden Masters.
The identity of Saber, the King of Knights' hidden Master—the Magus Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu—as well as the Master of Lancer, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, one of the Twelve Lords from the Clock Tower, had long since been laid out before him by the Tohsaka Family's intelligence network.
Right now, though, he was focused on Rider, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, and his Master, Waver Velvet. Since the two had yet to fight another Servant, Tohsaka Tokiomi knew very little about them.
And then there was...
Caster and his Master, Wang Xiaoming, whose true name remained unknown.
An investigative reporter dispatched from Tokyo to Fuyuki. There was no record of him ever having come into contact with the world of magecraft. He seemed like an ordinary person, yet he'd repeatedly done things that surprised Tohsaka Tokiomi.
After Kirei Kotomine reported that Wang Xiaoming had taken his second daughter, whom he'd given to the Matou House, Tohsaka Tokiomi had begun paying closer attention to the Caster team.
As the information he'd gathered grew more complete, Tohsaka Tokiomi became increasingly alarmed.
On his first day in Fuyuki City, Wang Xiaoming had unexpectedly encountered the murderous runaway Ryunosuke Uryu, then summoned Caster. After being discharged from the hospital, he'd moved—whether deliberately or by coincidence—straight into the Lancer team's base.
After that, nothing happened for a while, until the night the Heroic Spirits began appearing one after another—
In his first battle, he'd encountered Lancer. Tohsaka Tokiomi had assumed Wang Xiaoming would be eliminated then, but he'd unexpectedly survived and even seemed to have formed an alliance with the Lancer team.
The next day, both Lancer and Caster's bases were attacked. The two teams had even gone straight into the Matou House, one of the Three Founding Families alongside the Tohsaka Family. Though no one knew what had happened inside the mansion, Assassin had recorded the battle between Lancer and Berserker in full.
On the third day, he took Sakura to an amusement park...
Each incident, considered on its own, was perfectly ordinary. But what if they were taken together?
Tohsaka Tokiomi realized that every move made by the Caster team seemed to have a clear purpose.
It was almost as if—
The pair had an intelligence network of their own.
So did this information come from Caster's abilities... or from the hidden force behind Wang Xiaoming?
"Master?"
Kirei Kotomine's voice came through the communication device, interrupting Tohsaka Tokiomi's thoughts.
"Right, Kirei. What do you think of the Caster team?"
"They're very mysterious. They've yet to reveal any of their cards. The only time they fought was against Lancer. Unfortunately, Assassin had to observe from a distance to avoid exposing himself."
Kirei Kotomine spoke steadily through the device. As Tohsaka Tokiomi's apprentice, he'd naturally reviewed the information on the Caster team as well.
"I see..."
Tohsaka Tokiomi fell silent after hearing his apprentice's answer.
"Still, I don't think they'd be a match for Archer, even if Caster revealed his trump card."
Kirei Kotomine's words jolted Tokiomi out of his thoughts. He couldn't help but smile wryly.
It seemed he'd been overthinking things. After all, the strongest card was in his hand.
With the others' trump cards exposed, Archer naturally had nothing to fear from the other Servants.
It was just that he and the King of Heroes...
Tohsaka Tokiomi sighed, but the Tohsaka Family's motto of elegance and composure helped him regain his calm. If the Caster team posed no threat, that left only...
Rider.
"Kirei, how long would it take to gather all of Assassin?"
"About ten minutes."
Though Tohsaka Tokiomi had only asked a question, Kirei Kotomine on the other end of the line already understood his master's intention.
Of the known Servants, Rider was the only one who made Tohsaka Tokiomi truly uneasy.
As for Berserker, it seemed he was the Matou House's Servant. But judging by what had happened earlier, the Matou House might already have withdrawn from this Holy Grail War.
In other words, there was no need to keep watching the other teams apart from Rider's.
To test them and obtain valuable information, he could send Assassin to investigate now.
The current banquet, with Rider and his Master completely off guard, offered an excellent opportunity for a surprise attack. What mattered now wasn't victory, but the difference in strength between the two sides. If they could eliminate Rider, all the better. Even if they couldn't, pushing him to the brink and forcing him to reveal his hidden trump card would be enough.
"Good. Give the order. It's a big gamble, but fortunately, we have little to lose even if it fails."
To the Tohsaka side, both Assassin and Archer were merely tools to help them claim the Holy Grail and reach the Root—disposable once they'd served their purpose.
Both Tohsaka Tokiomi and Kirei Kotomine adhered well to that principle.
The Command Spell on the back of Kirei's hand glowed faintly red. After relaying his master's orders, he resumed silently watching Fuyuki Bridge, still brightly lit in the middle of the night.
Having finished making his arrangements, Tohsaka Tokiomi sat in his armchair and lifted the cup of tea at his right. He breathed in its fragrance, ready to wait at ease for the results.
He had no idea that, on a hill not far from his residence, a pair of eyes was quietly watching the luxurious mansion belonging to the Tohsaka Family.
"Lancer, let's go."
After a while, the owner of those eyes spoke, then turned and walked into the woods behind him.
Chapter 54: An Unexpected Turn
"Lancer, let's go."
Kayneth, who had been watching the Tohsaka Family's mansion, suddenly spoke, then turned and walked into the woods behind him.
Kayneth moved at a steady pace through the shadowy, rustling trees. He wasn't walking particularly fast, but his steps were sure.
"My lord?"
The knight of the lance following Kayneth keenly noticed that his Master wasn't heading toward the meeting place he'd agreed on with Wang Xiaoming and Matou Kariya. Instead, he was going in the complete opposite direction.
"Lancer..."
Kayneth suddenly stopped. The quiet moonlight cast a long shadow behind him.
"My lord."
A flash of golden light appeared, and Lancer materialized before Kayneth.
"Were you going to ask why we aren't meeting up with Matou Kariya?"
Kayneth's tone was unexpectedly calm as he looked at the Servant kneeling before him, lacking his usual arrogance.
"..."
Lancer lowered his head without answering.
"What sort of person do you think Wang Xiaoming is?"
Rather than pressing Lancer for an answer, Kayneth asked a familiar question.
"He's kind to his friends and stands up when he sees injustice. He's an ordinary man without great ambitions."
Lancer thought back over his interactions with Wang Xiaoming. He didn't know what his Master was thinking, but the knight's nature would not allow him to lie. He gave his honest assessment.
"I see..."
Kayneth nodded, showing none of the displeasure Lancer had expected. Instead, he lifted his head and gazed at the bright moon.
"Judging from the situation so far, Archer is indeed the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War. So, after eliminating his Master, Tohsaka Tokiomi, we should take advantage of the moment when Archer has no magical energy supply and work with Berserker to force him out of the war. Once Archer is gone, the situation in this Holy Grail War will become much clearer."
After repeating Wang Xiaoming's plan, Kayneth let out a rare sigh:
Before you continue