Journey to Find Heroic Spirits

But he failed, and Chiron's eyes showed no flicker of emotion.

Chiron smiled; he had seen this kind of casual behavior in many of his disciples.

He said with a smile, "If you want answers, you have to work to find them. You might think Atalanta's approach is childish and too idealistic, but she never stopped trying."

Yuxian carefully pondered the meaning behind Chiron's words and asked with a confused expression, "Are you telling me to do things my own way?"

Chiron laughed even louder and retorted, "You are the Master, and we all have to listen to you, don't we?"

Yuxian understood Chiron's meaning and sighed, "I don't have the confidence to change this world."

"If you don't try, you'll never change anything," Chiron said, patting Yuxian's shoulder. "If the Masters of Chaldea lack even this much confidence, how can they save Human Order?"

With that, he turned and left, leaving Yuxian with time to ponder.

Yuxian couldn't help but shake his head and give a wry smile. He wasn't saving Human Order right now, and there was no Human Order in Chaldea that needed saving.

He stared blankly at the waves of the sea, lost in thought, while Mash stood quietly by his side.

Yuxian suddenly asked, "Mash, do you think I can really do it?"

Mash replied gently, "Senpai, as long as you put your mind to it, nothing is too difficult for you."

Put my mind to it? Yuxian didn't know if he wasn't serious enough, but since Mash said so, he would try to be a little more serious.

"Let's go back, Mash."

With his mind made up, Yuxian stopped overthinking. Chiron was right; he couldn't give up so easily.

If he didn't try, how would he know the final outcome? Only by giving his all would he know his limits.

Back at their residence, dinner was ready, and everyone was waiting for him.

"Master is so slow!" a few of the children complained.

Yuxian clasped his hands together in apology and quickly sat down with Mash, and everyone began to eat.

The food on the table was rather simple, a world apart from the meals Emiya cooked.

But everyone silently finished every bite of their food, leaving nothing behind.

Every meal here was incredibly precious, and waste was absolutely forbidden.

After dinner, Yuxian wandered around the building.

He found a group of children surrounding Illya and quietly walked over, wanting to hear what they were talking about.

It turned out Illya was telling her story about becoming a Magical Girl again, a story Yuxian had heard many times.

But for the young girls in the outer districts, it was a wonderful story.

They longed for a life of studying at school, having parents and friends, and living happily every day.

Illya shared the same red eyes as them, and compared to Jack and the others, Illya was more relatable to them.

They envied Illya's experiences even more, a life that was closest to theirs, yet impossibly out of reach.

Yuxian didn't disturb them. He quietly left without drawing their attention and returned to his room.

As soon as he opened the door, three little lolis were roughhousing on the bed, having already claimed it.

Yuxian put a hand to his forehead. "Are you planning on making me sleep on the floor forever?"

"Mama can sleep with us!"

"Mhm!" Jack's words

"Master and Jack are so noisy, Alice is trying to read!"

Gretel complained indignantly, holding Mash as she read a storybook. Their loud voices had disturbed her, causing her displeasure.

Yuxian stopped roughhousing with Jack and made an apologetic gesture.

He called Little Jeanne, who was sitting properly in a distant chair, over to him, then placed Jack on another chair to the side. The three of them lined up neatly and quietly spaced out together.

Kisaragi Tendo burst into the office and said rapidly, "We have a job. Head to the Ministry of Defense immediately. I've already contacted Rentaro to go straight there."

The Ministry of Defense?

Yuxian's spirits immediately lifted at the mention. He quickly stood up and said to everyone, "Let's go make some money! Once we earn it, I'll buy everyone gifts."

Outside the Ministry of Defense building, they met up with Rentaro, who had rushed over. The group headed directly to a large conference room.

Inside, most of the well-known civil security companies in the Tokyo Area had gathered.

As soon as the notification time arrived, the conference room doors closed, and the screen on the wall lit up.

A beautiful young woman appeared on the screen. She was the ruler of the Tokyo Area, Seitenshi.

Accompanying her was her regent, who was Kisaragi Tendo's grandfather, Kikunojo Tendo.

Seitenshi, in her pleasant voice, explained the details of the commission: eliminate the Gastrea that appeared in the Tokyo Area and retrieve a box it had swallowed.

The commission reward displayed on the screen was astonishing: one billion yen!

Yuxian whispered to Mash beside him, "The reward for this commission is enough for us to spend a long time."

Mash was not optimistic and said worriedly, "With such a high reward, the mission difficulty is probably very high."

"I know what I'm doing, just watch. I'm getting this one billion yen."

Yuxian was well aware of the inside story of this commission. The difficulty wouldn't be that great. The biggest danger came from the item inside the box—the Seven Stars' Relic.

He glanced sideways at Kikunojo Tendo beside Seitenshi, wondering what the mastermind behind this incident would do if he brought the box back intact.

A burst of laughter suddenly echoed through the conference room, startling everyone.

Hiruko Kage胤, dressed in a red tailcoat, wearing a gentleman's hat and a white mask, had appeared in the conference room at some unknown time.

Arriving at the same time was a little girl with blue hair, wearing a dark dress and carrying two swords on her back.

She was Hiruko Kageyasu's daughter, Hiruko Kohina, and his Initiator.

The two of them stood on the conference table, arrogantly introducing themselves, showing no regard for anyone present.

He boasted and threatened everyone in the room, causing them to raise their weapons against him. Combat was imminent.

Yuxian sighed inwardly, deciding not to give Hiruko Kage胤 a chance to show off. He stepped forward, pressed down on Rentaro's gun hand, and looked at Hiruko Kage胤 with a calm expression.

He said calmly, "Hiruko Kageyama, if you want what's in the box, just try to take it with your strength. Anyone can say harsh words. I'll give you a warning beforehand."

"Don't hurt any children, otherwise..." Yuxian's eyes turned sharp, like knives, and he said coldly to Hiruko Kage胤, "I'll dig out the metal lumps inside your body, piece by piece!"

Hearing this threat, Hiruko Kage胤 burst into laughter, as if mocking him or perhaps excited by Yuxian's words.

Hiruko Kohina glared at Yuxian with dissatisfaction and asked, "Daddy, can I cut him?"

Before her words fell, a voice came from behind her simultaneously, "Mommy, can we dismember her?"

Jack had appeared behind Kohina at some point, a dagger resting on Kohina's neck. She widened her eyes and looked at Yuxian questioningly.

Her actions surprised everyone. No one noticed when Jack had made her move, as if she had suddenly appeared behind Kohina.

This was Jack's innate skill, Presence Concealment. If she intended to hide her presence, it would be difficult for ordinary people to detect her movements before she attacked.

Yuxian shook his head and said, "No, Jack. Kohina is also a child. You can't hurt her. Besides, it would stain your clothes."

Jack said "Oh," put away her dagger, and leaped back to Yuxian's side. She stood obediently, showing no trace of the girl who had been ready to dismember someone at the slightest disagreement.

Kohina turned her gaze to Jack, staring at her intently. She hadn't noticed Jack's movement at all and had no idea how Jack had gotten behind her.

But Jack ignored her gaze. Like a good child, she stood obediently beside Yuxian.

Hiruko Kage胤 seriously examined Yuxian. He trembled and said, "This competition is becoming more and more exciting. My excitement can no longer be contained. Then let's see who gets the Seven Stars' Relic first."

With that, he and Kohina jumped out the window and left the Ministry of Defense conference room.

The commotion finally subsided. Kisaragi Tendo looked directly at Seitenshi and asked, "What is the Seven Stars' Relic?"

"This involves personal privacy, and I cannot tell you," Seitenshi replied without giving an answer. She then said solemnly, "The commission has now been updated with one additional item: you must retrieve the box before that person. If the contents of the box are misused, the Great Stone Monument's barrier will be broken, causing a great extinction in the Tokyo Area."

Kisaragi Tendo had many more questions, her heart filled with doubt. However, her inquiries were destined to go unanswered, merely a waste of time.

Section 26: Chapter Six - The Person Can Leave, But the Money Must Stay

On the way back, Yuxian optimistically asked, "Now that this commission is complete, should we go for steak or hot pot?"

"Steak!" "Hot pot!"

Jack and Gretel argued, unwilling to back down.

Yuxian asked Little Jeanne, who hadn't spoken, "Jeanne-chan, what do you want to eat?"

Little Jeanne looked up at Yuxian and stammered, "I want to buy gifts for everyone in the outer districts."

"Oh my! Christmas isn't even here yet, and our Santa Claus is already starting his work?"

Yuxian patted her head. Though he was teasing her, he was happy about her kindness.

Little Jeanne wanted to argue but didn't know how, her small face turning bright red. Mash quickly pulled her away from Yuxian, preventing him from teasing her further.

She said irritably, "Senpai, isn't it a bit early to be thinking about how to spend money? The request isn't even complete yet."

Yuxian burst into laughter, unconcerned with his image. "With ten billion yen, if I don't think about how to spend it in advance, I'm afraid I won't know what to do with it when the time comes."

"Do you guys need money badly?"

Hiruko Kage胤's voice echoed from the dim alley. Mash immediately stepped forward, blocking Yuxian and guarding against a potential sneak attack.

Yuxian was also surprised that Hiruko Kage胤 wasn't looking for Rentaro but had come to find him instead.

However, he quickly came to terms with it. He had been at odds with Hiruko Kage胤 when he was at the Ministry of Defense, so it was understandable that he would be sought out.

He patted Mash's arm, signaling her not to be nervous.

It was late, and the unlit alley was pitch black, making it difficult to see figures clearly.

"Yuxian? Or is Yuxian the correct way to address you? You're not from the Tokyo Area, are you?"

Hiruko Kage胤 stood in the shadows and slowly revealed Yuxian's identity. To gather so much information in such a short time indicated exceptional intelligence capabilities.

It was likely information obtained from his employer behind the scenes, but Yuxian didn't mind. These weren't things he needed to deliberately conceal. His true identity was a Master of Chaldea; if Kikunojo Tendo could figure that out, then he would truly be impressed.

Yuxian couldn't understand the thought processes of these politicians. He wondered what good it would do Kikunojo Tendo to hire Hiruko Kage胤 and cause unrest in the Tokyo Area.

He tilted his head and asked plainly, "Is there something you need?"