Roland's declaration sent a chill through Zouken Matou.
He carefully reviewed what he had said. There had been nothing particularly unusual about it, had there? How had this fellow taken it as a reason to stop being human?
Had something snapped in his head?
Given Roland's combat strength, he might blow up the Matou Family's home if he went off the rails. That would run completely counter to Zouken Matou's preference for fading from public view and scheming behind the scenes.
At that thought, he gave a few affected coughs, prompting the little black-haired girl hiding behind the door to step out.
"Your magical energy conduit is ready," Zouken Matou said gravely. "Although she is still very inexperienced as a mage, she is more than adequate as a source of magical energy. Caster is a class capable of gathering magical energy independently, after all. The energy supplied by the Master merely maintains their existence."
As though worried Roland might be dissatisfied, Zouken Matou briefly outlined Sakura Matou's advantages.
But Roland paid no attention to any of that. First, he glanced at the little girl's hair color, then his gaze involuntarily lingered on her hands.
"This child is Sakura Matou, adopted from the Tohsaka Family. My insects have not been implanted in her yet, so you can rest assured. From now on, use her however you please. If she is still alive after the Holy Grail War, you can also hand her back to this old man to squeeze some use out of the leftovers."
Noticing where Roland was looking, Zouken Matou let out a laugh filled with malice and delight.
Now his punishment of Kariya Matou was taken care of as well. After that fellow fought tooth and nail, he would discover that his greatest objective had already been handed over to someone else. Watching his hypocritical pose of righteousness crumble would certainly be entertaining.
"Oh, and your Holy Relic. This is the best of the Caster relics in my possession." Zouken Matou handed Roland a small box and continued, "Once the war begins, I hope you will remember your promise and prioritize killing Darnic."
"The Matou Family has chosen Berserker this time. If it is convenient, you can lend a hand as well."
"Understood. It's almost eleven. I'm heading back to get some rest."
Roland nodded and left through the Matou Family's front gate without any further response. Having already received her instructions, Sakura Matou obediently followed him. Even though she had been passed on to someone else again, her expression barely changed. Her mindset seemed nothing like that of a six- or seven-year-old girl.
She looked like a doll without a soul. Roland instinctively slowed his steps, and Sakura Matou slowed down as well, always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Still, it was hard to imagine that this quiet-looking girl, as adorable as a doll, felt no fear at all about leaving with a stranger.
Was it because she had witnessed something far more horrifying? Roland glanced at Sakura Matou's eyes. Rather than the simple numbness that came from growing accustomed to terror, her eyes held a deathly stillness. Even without entering the Insect Cave, had the psychological damage been worse in the absence of physical suffering?
But Roland had no intention of treating Sakura Matou, either. He spoke first, his tone anything but warm.
"Your name is Sakura Matou, right? I'm Roland."
Sakura Matou raised her head slightly and watched Roland's back, her eyes still betraying no emotion.
Roland did not mind the little girl's silence and continued.
"First, you need to understand something. Your grandfather has already given you to me. You need to know where you stand, and I will need you around for some time to come. I won't ask you to do anything beyond your abilities, but you mustn't cause trouble for me, either."
"Lastly," Roland turned to look at Sakura Matou, "although I don't think you harbor any such fantasies, I'd rather make this clear in advance. I won't let you leave, whether to return to the Matou Family or the Tohsaka Family."
By rights, Roland should have said something generous at that moment to comfort Sakura Matou, but he did not want to.
He had risked his life to obtain this magical energy conduit through a deal in this Holy Grail War.
That was a real price Roland had paid. He was not the one responsible for Sakura Matou's tragic circumstances, so why should he feel guilty toward her?
"Well, I more or less understand your situation, and sometimes I do feel some sympathy. As an adult, perhaps I ought to say the right thing, like promising you your freedom once the Holy Grail War is over."
"But I won't."
Roland gazed frankly at Sakura Matou. "Unless I want to, I absolutely refuse to give anything that belongs to me to someone else."
Ever since childhood, perhaps because of his family experiences, Roland had placed great importance on anything that belonged to him. He was the same when playing games, pointlessly hoarding large quantities of things he would never use rather than throwing them away.
"-Maybe I still haven't managed to become a proper adult."
Roland gave a self-deprecating smile and looked at Sakura Matou. "You'd better prepare yourself for that, Miss Sakura Matou."
Perhaps because Roland's words were so far out of left field, Sakura Matou froze for a moment. Then she gave him a lovely smile.
"Yes, Lord Roland. As long as you need me, I will never leave your side."
"Ah..." Perhaps because her answer was far too mature, Roland tilted his head in bewilderment and studied the little girl.
Instead of keeping several meters away as she had before, Sakura Matou now followed right behind him like a little tail. Did that mean they had grown a bit closer?
What was going on? Kirei, Ryunosuke Uryu-one after another, they all suddenly grew much closer to me. I didn't offer any profound wisdom. I just said what was on my mind.
Puzzled, Roland turned away, stopped dwelling on the question, and continued walking.
Some time later, he finally returned home. After waiting a little while, he sat down on the sofa with Sakura Matou sitting obediently beside him.
"We'll be summoning a Heroic Spirit next. Your grandfather told you what to do, right?"
After receiving an affirmative response, Roland nodded. "Before that, wait a moment for me."
Now that he had his answer, he no longer intended to wait. Today, he would seize the shortcut to eternal peace of mind!
-Key of All Spirits, form a contract with the soul of the Holy Lord for me.
After issuing the command in his mind, Roland's face suddenly turned a sickly pale. The Key of All Spirits on his hand once again emitted silver light, which slowly flowed into his body.
All at once, his senses were magnified without limit. His soul felt as though it were plunging into deep space, his vision began to blur, and his mind grew dazed. Every blink brought an exhausted drowsiness.
"I miscalculated. This isn't like the time with Yoshikage Kira. A red contract spirit certainly lives up to its color..."
In the end, Roland lost consciousness. His body swayed twice before collapsing onto Sakura Matou beside him.
"Lord Roland?"
Sakura Matou gave a quiet cry of surprise. She was just about to reach out to support Roland when she stopped.
Although Roland had yet to awaken, his eyelids were slightly open. From this close, Sakura Matou could clearly see that something was different from his formerly dark, deep eyes.
-Now, Roland's entire eye sockets had been filled with scarlet light.
There was no visible division between the whites and pupils, only a mass of crimson, dark, chaotic light, brightening and dimming like breathing, like an unsteady, flickering flame.
The usual request for votes! Thank you to "Muted Main Account's Roasted Coo-Coo" and "Haoyue 0xc" for the 500-point tips! Thanks to the generous investor and "I Am Zong" for the tips!