Journey to Find Heroic Spirits

Yuxian couldn't bear to refuse her, and even though he wasn't confident, he made a grand promise: "I'll definitely find everyone quickly, don't worry, Illya."

Receiving Yuxian's promise, Illya happily formed another contract with him.

The light screen displayed that Yuxian's contracted Servant count had become: 3

Section 4: Chapter 4 - Children Should Study Hard and Improve Every Day

Contract complete.

Illya hurriedly took off her backpack and placed it on the table, looking at Yuxian with anticipation: "Master, please help me with my homework. The teacher assigned so much today."

"No," Yuxian said sternly. "You must complete your homework yourself. It's not the behavior of a good child to have others do it for you."

Although Yuxian liked Illya very much, he wouldn't indulge her in this regard. Children should study hard, and he would absolutely not agree to her trying to slack off and avoid 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 seize the time to do homework."

He then turned to Mash beside him and said, "Mash, come help teach Illya too."

Mash nodded in agreement: "Okay, Senpai."

Illya was very happy. She clenched her right fist in a "go for it" gesture and said full of motivation: "With Master and Sister Mash helping, I'm sure we can finish the homework quickly today!"

By the time Emiya called everyone for dinner, Illya still hadn't finished her homework. She threw down the ballpoint pen with a ribbon in her hand and complained: "I'm so tired, there's no way I can finish this."

Yuxian said expressionlessly, "We'll continue after dinner."

Upon hearing this, Illya's little face fell. She sat there dejectedly, not wanting to talk to Yuxian.

Mash carefully tidied up the textbooks and stationery on the table, neatly putting them back into the small backpack one by one.

The group sat around the round dining table, eating dinner.

Emiya, as expected of a Servant with Cooking EX, had prepared a table full of rich dishes. Everyone ate with great satisfaction.

During the meal, Emiya brought up the matter of summoning a Servant.

"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 didn't intend to delay. "Then tonight, I will assist you. Master and Mash, you two come and help as well."

Yuxian had no objections. He had already learned from Emiya that the Counter Force here couldn't control Emiya, which clearly indicated this wasn't his original timeline.

Therefore, the Servants summoned from the Throne of Heroes would not be the same ones who were originally at Chaldea.

Yuxian felt a pang of regret, but it was also within his expectations. Finding all the Servants from Chaldea wouldn't be an easy task.

"I want to help too!" Illya immediately raised her hand when she heard the news, indicating she could also help.

Yuxian immediately refused her offer, saying sternly, "You don't need to help. Finish your homework seriously, and then go to bed. You 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 soured. He pulled his face down, pretending to be angry, and said sternly, "What business does a child have participating in a Holy Grail War? Studying hard is what children should be doing."

Illya instantly became dejected, not daring to retort.

Mash comforted her from the side: "Illya, you need to be obedient. Master cares about you and doesn't want you to take risks. When there's trouble, we'll ask for Illya's help."

Illya reluctantly nodded, accepting Mash's words, and looked up at Yuxian with a wronged expression: "Master, be careful and stay safe. If you encounter any difficulties, you must come find me. I'm a Magical Girl!"

Yuxian couldn't bear to refuse Illya again. Facing her hopeful gaze, he nodded in agreement.

With Mash by his side for protection, he was relatively at ease about his own safety.

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

This was also one of the reasons Yuxian was willing to participate in this Holy Grail War; he had sufficient confidence in Mash.

After dinner, Yuxian continued to guide Illya in her studies.

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

The time for summoning the Servant was set for midnight, the time of day when magical energy was most abundant. It was still early.

Yuxian sat alone on the soft sofa, gazing at the Command Spells on the back of his hand, lost in thought.

As Chaldea's only Master, his magic should be connected to all of Chaldea.

Moreover, Illya was one thing; she had an infinite supply of magic, so moving freely was naturally not a problem.

Even with his Independent Action characteristic, Emiya had managed to stay in this world for a whole year. There must be some other reason that Yuxian didn't know about.

The Command Spell system on the back of his hand also left Yuxian somewhat bewildered. A red pattern, like a sticker bought and applied, had actually undergone such a transformation.

He couldn't determine his current condition. Perhaps he should learn Projection Magic from Emiya to test his physical state.

As Yuxian quietly pondered, time unknowingly passed until the early morning.

Fuyuki City, Matou Family basement.

Even after a year, and despite Emiya's careful cleaning, a lingering stench filled the air. Without proper ventilation, it was difficult to get rid of.

Yuxian didn't let it stop him. Frowning, he endured the nauseating smell and entered the basement.

"It's about time. Let's begin."

Emiya signaled to Kariya that he could start the summoning ritual. Yuxian stepped back two paces, and Mash summoned her shield, standing guard beside him.

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

The summoning chant was no different from what Yuxian remembered. The slightly chuunibyou lyrics were something he had recited himself back in the day.

A dazzling light emanated from the summoning circle, growing brighter with Kariya's chanting.

When Kariya finished his chant, a Servant clad in blue armor appeared in the center of the summoning circle. His helmet covered his face, making it impossible to see his features.

Even without adding a Berserker catalyst, Kariya had summoned Berserker Lancelot, the foremost Knight of the Round Table who had once possessed countless honors under King Arthur.

"It's Sir Lancelot!"

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

The shield in her hand was the catalyst for Galahad, Lancelot's son—the Lord of the Lost, forged from the Round Table of the Knights of the Round Table.

Mash's voice drew Lancelot's attention. He turned to look at her, his gaze immediately falling upon the shield in her hand.

"Gala...had."

Perhaps it was due to the absence of a Berserker catalyst, but Berserker Lancelot had not completely lost his sanity. The black smoke surrounding him was very thin.

He walked up to Mash and gently touched the shield with his hand, as if recalling his days as a Knight of the Round Table.

Mash respectfully bowed to Lancelot. "Sir Lancelot, my name is Mash Kyrielight. I am merely borrowing the power of Sir Galahad."

Meanwhile, Emiya saw Kariya struggling and warned him, "Berserker Lancelot requires a tremendous amount of magical energy. At your level, you can barely sustain him. Don't let him fight without limits; it will kill you."

Kariya Matou lowered his head in silence...

His noncommittal attitude made Emiya frown, but he still earnestly reiterated his warning.

The Holy Grail War officially commenced at this moment.

ps: The shortage of Fuyuki Bones is huge. I'll farm, farm, farm, farm, farm.

Section 5: Chapter 5 - Mapo Tofu Tastes Delicious

The next morning, under Yuxian's supervision, Illya went to school with a pout on her face, clearly unhappy.

Yuxian planned to search for the perverted murderer who had recently been rampant in Fuyuki City, Ryunosuke Uryu, along with Mash. Without Ryunosuke and Gilles de Rais whom he summoned, this Holy Grail War would have had fewer complications.

Before setting out, Yuxian disguised the Command Spells on the back of his hand to make them less conspicuous and avoid unnecessary trouble.

The two of them investigated the crime scenes reported in the news one by one. They spent a considerable amount of time but ultimately found nothing, yielding no useful information.

The Fuyuki City Police Department was also helpless against the crimes committed by Ryunosuke. Since Yuxian and Mash were not skilled in this area, their lack of findings was understandable.

Yuxian sighed, "If only Holmes were here."

This aimless, fly-like approach frustrated Yuxian, but he could do nothing about it, as he wasn't a professional.

"Senpai, don't worry. We will definitely find everyone from Chaldea," Mash comforted him, misunderstanding his thoughts. She thought Yuxian was missing the others from Chaldea.

"I hope so," Yuxian said, no longer dwelling on it. He pointed to a Chinese restaurant not far away. "Before we know it, it's already noon. If we go back now, we'll miss lunch. Let's go eat Chinese food."

Emiya's cooking was, of course, impeccable, but Yuxian still missed the taste of Chinese food. Seeing a Chinese restaurant immediately sparked a desire to indulge.

Mash naturally had no objections, and the two headed towards the restaurant.

The Chinese restaurant wasn't doing much business. In the empty dining area, there was only one customer, sitting with his back to the door, eating alone.

"Boss, one plate of Mapo Tofu, one plate of stir-fried pork with green peppers, and a tomato and egg soup. Two bowls of rice. Make it quick!"

Yuxian skillfully ordered two dishes and a soup, and he and Mash found an empty table, waiting for the boss to serve their food.

During the boring wait, Yuxian looked around and noticed the other customer in the restaurant was intensely focused on a plate of Mapo Tofu.

Recognizing the other person's face, Yuxian's eyes lit up. Wasn't that the Mapo Tofu-loving Kirei Kotomine?

He walked over, pulled out the chair opposite Kirei, and sat down. Looking at Kirei, who was sweating profusely but still eating with gusto, Yuxian said, "The Mapo Tofu is delicious, isn't it?"

Kirei looked up at Yuxian but didn't speak, remaining focused on the plate of Mapo Tofu in front of him.

Yuxian watched him quietly. Only after Kirei had finished the entire plate of Mapo Tofu and wiped the corners of his mouth did he continue, "Are you the priest at the Fuyuki City church?"

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

Yuxian replied, "Nothing in particular, 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 merely a rigid priest.

"Kirei Kotomine."

"My name is Yuxian. We will meet again." Without waiting for Kirei's reaction, Yuxian finished speaking and returned to Mash's side. The restaurant owner had just brought their food.

Mash, curious about Yuxian's earlier actions, asked, "Senpai, who was that?"

"Oh, that's the Master of the assassin, Kirei Kotomine," Yuxian said as he picked up his rice, ready to taste the food at this Chinese restaurant in Fuyuki City and see if the flavors were authentic.

"Ah!" Mash exclaimed in surprise, chiding him, "Senpai, acting so rashly like this makes things difficult for me."

"It's fine," Yuxian mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Kirei Kotomine is publicly the supervisor of this Holy Grail War, and secretly Tokiomi Tohsaka's subordinate. His Servant, Hundred Faced Hassan, primarily handles intelligence gathering."

"That's still not allowed!" Mash's attitude was firm, her eyes fixed on Yuxian without blinking. "Senpai, you can't make decisions on your own like this anymore. You must tell me beforehand."

"Alright, alright, I promise I'll discuss things with you from now on." Mash, who usually went along with Yuxian's every whim, was being exceptionally insistent this time, and Yuxian quickly nodded in agreement. "Hurry up and eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Only then did Mash pick up the rice in front of her and slowly begin to eat.

Tohsaka Family Residence.

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

"There's no need to worry, Kirei. I've already received word that the Master for the Matou Family this time is Kariya Matou. That half-baked Magus won't be an obstacle," Tokiomi Tohsaka said, holding a wine glass, swirling it gently, and taking a slow sip. He continued, "With the most powerful Servant, the final victor of this Holy Grail War will undoubtedly be me."

Yuxian and Mash spent the day searching the streets of Fuyuki City but found no clues about Ryunosuke.

Although Yuxian was physically tired from spending the day shopping with his cute kouhai, he felt very happy inwardly.

Returning to the Matou residence that evening, after a sumptuous dinner and supervising Illya's homework, Yuxian once again leaned back on the sofa.

"This kind of life isn't too bad either."

The confusion and anxiety he felt after transmigrating to Chaldea slowly dissipated in Yuxian's heart. He began to look forward to meeting each Heroic Spirit.