Chapter Four: Kids Should Study Hard and Make Progress Every Day / Chapter Five: Mapo Tofu Is Delicious

Yuxian couldn't bear to refuse her. Even though he wasn't certain, he still promised confidently, "We'll definitely find everyone again soon. Don't worry, Illya."

Having received Yuxian's promise, Illya happily formed a contract with him once more.

The light screen showed that Yuxian's number of contracted Servants had become: 3

A Child Should Study Hard and Make Progress Every Day

The contract was complete.

Illya hurriedly took the backpack off her shoulders and set it on the table. She looked at Yuxian expectantly. "Master, help me with my homework. The teacher assigned so much homework today."

"No." Yuxian said sternly, "You have to finish your homework yourself. Having someone else do it for you isn't what a good child does."

Although Yuxian liked Illya very much, he wouldn't spoil her in this regard. Children should study hard. He would never agree to her trying to slack off and avoid doing her homework.

Illya looked troubled. "But there's really so much homework! Being an elementary school student is too hard!"

Yuxian gently patted her head and said kindly, "I'll teach you. Dinner hasn't started yet, so let's make the most of the time and do your homework."

Then he turned to Mash beside him. "Mash, come help teach Illya too."

Mash nodded. "Yes, Senior."

Illya was delighted. She clenched her right fist in a cheering gesture and said energetically, "With Master and Big Sister Mash helping me, I'll definitely finish my homework quickly today!"

Even when Emiya called everyone to dinner, Illya still hadn't finished her homework. She tossed aside the ballpoint pen decorated with a bow and cried miserably, "I'm exhausted! There's no way I can finish it like this."

Yuxian said expressionlessly, "Continue after dinner."

At those words, Illya's little face fell. She sat there glumly, not wanting to pay attention to Yuxian.

Mash carefully gathered the textbooks and stationery from the table, placing them neatly back into the small backpack one item at a time.

Everyone gathered around the round dining table for dinner.

Emiya truly lived up to being a Heroic Spirit with Cooking EX. He had meticulously prepared an entire table full of sumptuous dishes, and everyone ate with immense satisfaction.

During the meal, Emiya brought up the matter of summoning Servants.

"I've completed the preparations for the summoning. Kariya, have you decided?"

Kariya nodded. "I'm ready anytime."

The Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City was about to begin, and Emiya had no intention of delaying. "Then tonight. I'll assist you, and Master and Mash will help as well."

Yuxian had no objections. He had already learned from Emiya that the Counter Force here could not command him, which clearly meant this was no longer the original time and space.

Therefore, the Servants summoned from the Throne of Heroes would not be the same Servants who had originally been in Chaldea.

Yuxian felt somewhat regretful, but it was within his expectations. Recovering every Servant in Chaldea would not be an easy task.

"I want to help too." Upon hearing this, Illya immediately raised her hand to show that she could help as well.

Yuxian immediately rejected her proposal and said sternly, "You don't need to help. Finish your homework properly, then go to bed. You still have school tomorrow."

Illya protested unhappily, "I don't want to go to school. I'm a Heroic Spirit. I want to participate in the Holy Grail War!"

Yuxian's expression darkened. He lowered his face and pretended to be angry as he said harshly, "What Holy Grail War should a child be participating in? Studying hard is what children should do."

Illya instantly became dejected and didn't dare talk back.

Mash comforted her from the side. "Illya, you need to be good. Master is worried about you and doesn't want you taking risks. If we run into trouble, we'll come ask Illya for help."

Illya reluctantly nodded, accepting Mash's words. She looked up at Yuxian with a wronged expression. "Master, be careful and stay safe. If you have any trouble, you have to come find me. I'm a Magical Girl."

Yuxian couldn't bear to refuse Illya again. Faced with her expectant gaze, he nodded in agreement.

With Mash protecting him at his side, he was fairly confident in his own safety.

As Chaldea's only Shielder Class Servant, Mash possessed unparalleled talent in defense.

That was also one reason Yuxian was willing to participate in this Holy Grail War. He had enough confidence in Mash.

After dinner, Yuxian continued guiding Illya in her studies.

After a brutal battle, Illya finally defeated all her homework. Mash took her back to her room to rest.

The Servant summoning had been set for midnight, when magical energy was at its strongest. It was still early.

Yuxian sat alone on the soft sofa, staring thoughtfully at the Command Spells on the back of his hand.

As Chaldea's only Master, his magical energy should have been connected to all of Chaldea.

And Illya was one thing. She had an unlimited supply of magical energy, so naturally, acting independently was not a problem.

Even though Emiya possessed the Independent Action skill, for him to have remained in this world for an entire year, there had to be some other reason Yuxian didn't know about.

The Command Spell system on the back of his hand left Yuxian even more confused. A red design from a sticker he had bought and stuck on had actually undergone such a transformation.

He still couldn't determine his own condition. Perhaps he should learn Projection Magic from Emiya and test the state of his body.

As Yuxian quietly contemplated, time unknowingly reached the early hours of the morning.

Fuyuki City, Matou Family basement.

Even after a year, and despite Emiya's thorough cleaning, an inescapable stench still lingered here. Without proper ventilation, it was difficult to eliminate the smell.

Yuxian didn't stop because of it. Frowning, he endured the nauseating odor and entered the basement.

"It's about time. Begin."

Emiya signaled that Kariya could begin the summoning ritual. Yuxian stepped back two paces, while Mash summoned her shield and stood guard beside him.

Kariya began reciting the summoning incantation in the center of the summoning circle.

The summoning chant was no different from what Yuxian remembered. The lines were a little embarrassingly dramatic, and he had memorized them back then as well.

A dazzling light erupted from the summoning circle, growing brighter and brighter along with Kariya's chant.

When Kariya finished the incantation, a Servant clad in blue armor appeared in the center of the summoning circle. The helmet he wore covered his face, making his appearance impossible to see clearly.

Even without adding the Mad Enhancement incantation, Kariya had still summoned Berserker Class Lancelot, King Arthur's foremost Knight of the Round Table, who had once possessed countless honors.

"It's Lord Lancelot!"

Mash cried out in surprise. She had an unusual connection with Lancelot.

The shield in her hand was the summoning catalyst of Lancelot's son, Galahad—The Lord of the Lost. It had been made from the round table of the Knights of the Round Table.

Mash's voice drew Lancelot's attention. He turned toward her, and his gaze instantly fixed upon the shield in her hands.

"Gala... had."

Perhaps because the Mad Enhancement incantation had not been added, Berserker Class Lancelot had not completely lost his reason. The black mist around him was very thin.

He walked before Mash and gently stroked the shield, seemingly recalling his days as a Knight of the Round Table.

Mash respectfully bowed to Lancelot. "Lord Lancelot, my name is Mash Kyrielight. I have only borrowed Lord Galahad's power."

On the other side, seeing Kariya struggling, Emiya warned him, "Berserker Class Lancelot's magical energy consumption is extremely high. With your level, you can only barely sustain him. Don't let him fight without restraint. It will kill you."

Kariya Matou lowered his head in silence...

His noncommittal attitude made Emiya frown, but he still seriously repeated the warning.

The Holy Grail War officially began at that moment.

PS: The shortage of Evil Bones is huge. I farm, I farm, I farm farm farm.

Mapo tofu is delicious

Early the next morning, under Yuxian's supervision, Illya went to school with puffed cheeks and a thoroughly unhappy expression.

Yuxian planned to search with Mash for the perverted serial killer currently running rampant in Fuyuki City, Ryuunosuke Uryuu. Without Ryuunosuke and the Gilles de Rais he summoned, this Holy Grail War would have far fewer complications.

Before setting out, Yuxian lightly disguised the Command Spells on the back of his hand so they would not attract attention and cause unnecessary trouble.

The two investigated the locations mentioned in recent news reports one by one. It took quite a bit of time, but they ultimately found nothing and gained no useful information.

Even the Fuyuki City Police Department was helpless against Ryuunosuke's crimes. Since neither Yuxian nor Mash was skilled in such matters, it was only natural that they found nothing.

Yuxian sighed. "If only Holmes were here."

This aimless method of rushing around like flies made Yuxian dissatisfied with himself, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he wasn't a professional.

"Senior, don't worry. We'll definitely find every single person in Chaldea." Mash comforted him. She had misunderstood and thought Yuxian was missing the others from Chaldea.

"I hope so." Yuxian stopped dwelling on it and pointed to a Chinese restaurant in the distance. "It's already noon before we knew it. If we go back now, we'll have missed lunch. Let's have Chinese food."

Emiya's cooking was naturally beyond reproach, but Yuxian still missed the taste of Chinese food. The moment he saw a Chinese restaurant, he wanted to indulge himself.

Naturally, Mash had no objections, so the two headed toward the restaurant.

Business at the Chinese restaurant wasn't very good. In the empty dining hall, there was only one customer, sitting with his back to the entrance and eating alone.

"Boss, one mapo tofu, one shredded pork with green peppers, one tomato and egg soup, and two bowls of rice. Make it quick!"

Yuxian skillfully ordered two dishes and a soup, then found an empty table with Mash and sat down to wait for the owner to bring their food.

During the boring wait, Yuxian looked around and noticed that the other diner was going all out on a plate of mapo tofu.

Once he got a clear look at the man's face, Yuxian's eyes lit up. Wasn't that Mapo Kirei Kotomine?

He walked over, pulled out the chair opposite Kirei Kotomine, and sat down. Looking at Kirei Kotomine, who was sweating profusely yet still eating with relish, he said, "Mapo tofu is delicious, right?"

Kirei Kotomine looked up at Yuxian without making a sound, then continued focusing on the mapo tofu before him.

Yuxian quietly watched him. Only after Kirei had finished the entire plate of mapo tofu and wiped away the remnants around his mouth did Yuxian speak again. "Are you the priest of the Fuyuki City church?"

"What does a guest of the Matou Family want with me?" Kirei Kotomine looked at Yuxian expressionlessly. He had already summoned Hundred Faced Hassan and knew that Yuxian was currently staying with the Matou Family.

Yuxian said, "Nothing. I just wanted to get acquainted."

At this time, Kirei Kotomine had not yet had his Soul of Pleasure awakened by Golden Flash. He was only a rigid priest.

"Kirei Kotomine."

"My name is Yuxian. We'll meet again." Without waiting for Kirei's response, Yuxian returned to Mash's side after speaking. The restaurant owner happened to bring out their food.

Mash was curious about Yuxian's behavior just now and asked, "Senior, who was that?"

"Oh, that was Assassin's Master, Kirei Kotomine."

As he spoke, Yuxian picked up his rice and prepared to taste the food at this Fuyuki City Chinese restaurant to see whether it was authentic.

"Ah!" Mash was greatly startled and reproached him, "Senior, being so reckless puts me in a difficult position."

"It's fine." With food in his mouth, Yuxian spoke indistinctly. "On the surface, Kirei Kotomine is the overseer of this Holy Grail War. In secret, he's Tokiomi Tohsaka's lackey. His Servant, Hundred Faced Hassan, mainly handles intelligence gathering."

"That still isn't acceptable!" Mash's attitude was extremely firm. She stared at Yuxian without blinking. "Senior, you can't make decisions on your own like that again. You have to tell me beforehand."

"Alright, alright, I promise I'll discuss it with you from now on." Mash usually went along with Yuxian in everything, but she was unusually insistent now. Yuxian hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Eat quickly. It won't taste good once it gets cold."

Only then did Mash pick up the rice before her and begin eating slowly.

Tohsaka Family.

Kirei Kotomine was reporting the matter of encountering Yuxian at the restaurant to Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"There is no need to concern yourself with it, Kirei. I have already received word that the Matou Family's Master this time is Kariya Matou. That half-baked Magus will not become an obstacle." Holding a glass of red wine, Tokiomi Tohsaka gently swirled it a few times, took a slow sip, and continued, "With the strongest Servant, the final victor of this Holy Grail War will certainly be me."

Yuxian and Mash spent the entire day wandering around Fuyuki City, but they found no clues regarding Ryuunosuke.

Although spending a day shopping with an adorable junior left Yuxian physically tired, he felt very happy inside.

That night, after returning to the Matou Family residence, eating a lavish dinner, and supervising Illya as she completed her homework, Yuxian reclined on the sofa once again.

"These days aren't so bad either."

The confusion and unease Yuxian had felt after crossing into Chaldea gradually faded from his heart. He began looking forward to meeting every Heroic Spirit.