I, Ritsuka, Siscon Grand Hero

Ais's appearance drew a lot of attention, and everyone greeted her with smiles.

They were also quite curious about Ritsuka, who was beside Ais.

Perhaps understanding Ais's personality, everyone ignored the unresponsive Ais. After all, it was hard for this airhead to notice such things; there were very few things she paid attention to.

For example, Loki and Riveria's requests.

Deep in the hall, Ritsuka saw Riveria, and Ais walked directly toward her.

Noticing their arrival, Riveria smiled gently. "You're here. Go sit over there. Loki will be a while."

"The clothes in the room were prepared by you, Riveria, right? Thank you so much, you've been a great help."

Ritsuka bowed to Riveria.

In response, Riveria stopped what she was doing and looked at Ritsuka with great interest, seeing the girl who looked so refined with just a little dressing up.

"How did Loki manage to pull you in? Tell me about it."

After her invitation was rejected, Riveria had guessed that Ritsuka was someone with a story.

She had protected something, perhaps failed or succeeded, and no longer saw a reason to continue striving to become stronger. People like that were hard to win over.

Riveria was curious about Loki's methods.

"Eh, do you really want to know? Actually, it was Mapo Tofu..."

"Stop!"

Riveria's face instantly turned a little pale.

PS: 1. I made a mistake in the previous chapter. I was so frustrated late at night...

This chapter is a make-up for the promised extra update. I almost forgot about it and only managed to post it after eleven.

2. Ais is truly beautiful. The illustrations in the novel have more flavor than the anime. Besides her beauty, there's a sense of a warrior's sternness, whereas in the anime, she just seems like a pure airhead.

Honestly, I prefer the novel illustrations (the image in this chapter is probably an illustration).

Section 73, Chapter 66: The First Night in the Familia

Late at night, most of the lights in the Loki Familia were extinguished, and everyone had fallen asleep.

This really is a nice place, Ritsuka thought, sitting on the rooftop, gazing up at the sparse starry sky.

During the banquet, Loki had formally introduced her in front of all her future companions, calling it a custom of the Loki Familia. Everyone had responded enthusiastically, expressing their anticipation for the new member.

Excluding a certain arrogant werewolf, her first night in the Loki Familia had allowed her to meet many good people.

Her unbound hair fluttered in the night breeze. Ritsuka hugged her knees, burying her face in them, her gaze still fixed on the starry sky above.

'What was Kiritsugu thinking that day, looking at the stars?'

Ritsuka pondered.

Honestly, joining the Familia felt good. The seniors all had a parental warmth that made her feel subconsciously at ease, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Even the pressure that had overwhelmed her during her five years of wandering the world after Kiritsugu's death hadn't been this intense.

"If I become strong enough, can I change my father's fate?"

Reversing time, rewriting destiny...

It sounded too fantastical. Even the gods in Orario probably couldn't do such an outrageous thing, at least not the exceptionally powerful evil god Loki.

Ritsuka looked up at the sky and clenched her fist.

At that moment, the Crystal Dice reacted, making her pause slightly.

[Ais Wallenstein (Sword Princess)]

[Synchronization Value (15%)]

What was going on?

Ritsuka's mind went blank for a moment, then she instinctively laughed, guessing a rather regrettable possibility.

A beautiful, slender figure flashed before her eyes for an instant.

"So, the 'Sword Princess' Ais Wallenstein is also searching."

"Searching for what?"

"Waaah!!"

The sudden voice from behind startled Ritsuka, making her lose her balance and nearly slip off the rooftop.

Someone pulled her, dragging her back onto the rooftop.

"Riveria—"

Ritsuka glared with dead fish eyes, turning to face Riveria, who was covering her mouth and chuckling behind her hand. This woman had deliberately sneaked up to scare her; she was quite malicious.

Riveria cupped her fist to her mouth and coughed, then said with a serious expression, "I saw you weren't sleeping and were here alone. Is something bothering you?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be an audience member."

As the senior member of the Familia, 'Mother Riveria' as Loki called her, Riveria, though inwardly disagreeing, always found herself interacting with the younger members of the Familia like a mother.

Ritsuka scratched her head, suddenly feeling ashamed to speak, a sense of embarrassment washing over her.

The way she had clenched her fist towards the sky just now must have looked incredibly stupid...

"Do you really want to listen? My story might be quite boring."

"Mhm, I'm very interested. Your heart and will are strong; you must have overcome unimaginable difficulties?"

Riveria grinned and poked Ritsuka, who was pouting, her chubby cheeks elastic.

"My story has to start with a certain man..."

The Crystal Dice flickered slightly, and Ritsuka took out an exquisite box. Upon opening it, a short gun appeared in Riveria's sight. This gun bore some resemblance to the Magic Stone firearms she was familiar with.

Ritsuka gently took out the Noble Phantasm, which was a memento from Kiritsugu Emiya.

"In my hometown, we don't use the magic here in Orario, but something called Magecraft. Magic is provided by special, simulated organs." Ritsuka took a deep breath, faint azure marks slowly appearing on her cheeks. "It consumes life force, converts it into the required magic, and then Magecraft can be used."

"Those who can use Magecraft are called 'Magus' and 'Mages'. My adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya, was a 'world-renowned' Magus Killer."

Magus Killer wasn't exactly a flattering title. Ritsuka chuckled awkwardly, only to realize Riveria was listening intently.

That's right, this world was different from her own.

It was normal for her not to know about Magus Killers.

"The Noble Phantasm, Thompson/Center Arms Contender. You can think of it as a magic staff used by Mages to assist their spells; they are similar in nature."

"Both are tools that operate under magic."

The exquisite storage box opened, revealing a second layer containing bullets engraved with complex patterns.

Origin Bullet. Seeing this, Ritsuka couldn't help but sigh. This thing was incredibly overpowered in her original world, practically a special attack against Mages.

"Severing and bonding—these are the characteristics of these bullets. I should have mentioned that Magic Circuits are virtual organ tissues."

Rather than telling her own story, it had somehow turned into a lecture on Magecraft knowledge. Ritsuka couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

But when it came to Kiritsugu, she found it hard to stop.

"When a Magus is hit, their Magic Circuits are severed and then violently fused together. Driving magic in such a state results in immense pain."

"In a sense, it's a rather cold weapon."

Riveria picked up the conversation, her fingertips lightly tapping the Origin Bullets in the storage box, her eyes shining.

If such a thing could be used on the Mages of Orario, she would be in grave danger. A single surprise shot from the shadows could take half her life.

"Yes, that Kiritsugu, he was quite cold towards everyone except me."

"He was always weighing the importance of people, making cold choices, and moving forward for human history in ways I couldn't understand."

Time quietly slipped by, and as the latter half of the night arrived, Ritsuka finally closed her eyes, succumbing to sleepiness.

She rested her head on Riveria's lap and slowly drifted off.

Of course, Loki's Divine Power also played a part. She had found them halfway through and, at Riveria's signal, used her Divine Power to do something she would normally be punished for.

After all, her perversion was widely acknowledged within the Familia. Whether they respected her or not as a pervert were two different matters.

"Riveria, what do you think of this child?"

The two sat side by side, enjoying the cool night air, Riveria's fingers gently stroking Ritsuka's forehead.

Loki narrowed her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

However, her question made Riveria chuckle. The elf, with her considerable age and experience, had extremely gentle emerald eyes—

"Having a father who was so cold yet strived for the continuation of all humanity, it's quite surprising that this child hasn't grown into a stubborn, cold crusader."

"Could it be that because she was too cute, her father subconsciously refrained from instilling his own ideology?"

Kiritsugu Emiya's reputation took a hit.

'Justice's Partner?'

Riveria narrowed her eyes, a certain phrase Ritsuka was fixated on echoing in her mind.

"To fight against various heroes and brave warriors in history for her sister, enduring Hydra's poison in her body, the pain of separation in her heart, and her soul constantly burning..."

"Unlike other children, this child named Emiya Ritsuka has grown. Loki, what does she remind you of?"

"A hero."

Loki swung her legs, her narrowed eyes resembling crescent moons, but her expression had become much more serious.

"A hero or a brave warrior, not the kind sung about in the past, who fought for humanity, but a hero belonging to one person alone."

Chapter 74: Chapter 67: The Goal of Training Ability Values

After joining a Familia, future goals suddenly become very important.

Adventure, trade, entertainment, conflict... fully embracing the adventurer's life, Ritsuka was led by Loki to the adventurer's [Guild].

Though I'm just a mere Lv.1, anyone can take me along, Ritsuka thought, but Loki had pulled them along, dragging them to the Guild without a word. The obvious level of importance Loki placed on Ritsuka also served as a testament to Ritsuka's own special nature.

A 'Blessing' was for expanding one's vessel; combat was the fastest way to improve. Ritsuka had already decided on a training plan in their heart.

Indeed, an elite monster like a Lv.2 Minotaur would be the most suitable...

The Guild was the administrative center for Orario's adventurers. To become an adventurer, merely receiving a 'Blessing' wasn't enough; one had to register at the Guild to be granted permission to explore the dangerous dungeon.

Therefore, Ritsuka's occasional sneaking into the dungeon in the past was entirely a violation of regulations.

The Guild's headquarters was a magnificent, towering building.

Following behind Loki, Ritsuka entered the Guild hall and subconsciously began observing their surroundings.

The staff members' auras weren't strong; they wore matching white shirts and black vests, sporting professional smiles. It felt quite like a high-class bar.

As Loki brought Ritsuka into the Guild, everyone invariably cast curious glances their way.

The name of the Familia's Sovereign, Loki, was quite renowned, naturally drawing everyone's attention. And an adventurer personally brought to the Guild for registration by her... their potential must be terrifying...

Striding forward, Loki led Ritsuka to a registration counter.

The girl in charge of registration was a service staff member named Eina. She had pointed ears like an elf, but overall, she didn't give Ritsuka the impression of being a darling of magic like Riveria.

Perhaps it's because her bloodline isn't pure?

"Please register my child. She wants to become an adventurer."