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[FMMISM] Chapter 25: Mystery of the Matou Family's Destruction
🕑 Added 2024-07-05 01:04:32 +0000 UTCRecently, the Sajyou residence had gained several exceptionally beautiful and well-proportioned women.
They wore traditional Victorian-style maid uniforms in black and white, silently carrying out household tasks beyond cooking within the luxurious mansion of the Sajyou family.
Actually, they were homunculi created by Morgan over the course of a single night.
Created using her own blood and magical energy, these advanced homunculi were said to possess outstanding Magic Circuits and combat capabilities, intended to accompany Ragna into the upcoming Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
Ragna didn't know whether these homunculi were good or bad, but Hiroki had sucked in a breath at the sight of Morgan's creations, remaining silent for a long while.
It was only after questioning Manaka that Ragna learned Morgan had casually produced these models, whose performance far surpassed modern magecraft's understanding of homunculus.
In other words, they outclassed the creations of Einzbern and the Atlas Institute by far.
In fact, this wasn't difficult to comprehend.
Just as the founder of modern alchemy, Paracelsus von Hohenheim, couldn't match the achievements of the wise ancestors who established the Atlas Institute, modern and ancient times were separated by insurmountable walls.
Morgan, one of the supreme mages standing at the pinnacle of magecraft in the Age of Gods of Britain, also had some understanding of alchemy. After all, her most famous creation was widely known and notorious.
In the afternoon, Ragna sat on the sofa, watching one of the homunculi maids clean the windows, lost in thought.
"Hey, can't you make one like Artoria... or one that looks like you?"
Although this batch of homunculi had finely crafted features, they did not have 'Artoria Face'.
Since these were homunculi made from Morgan's refined blood, it should have been possible to create ones with Artoria Face, right?
"No." Morgan sat at the other end of the sofa, absorbed in her book, not even looking up at him as she answered him.
"Not that you can't, but that you don't want to?" Ragna asked with a faint smile.
"Mm."
"Why not?" Ragna leaned closer, sticking his head between her and her book, blocking her line of sight. "Having a bunch of maids with your face around you every day would be quite pleasing to the eye, wouldn't it?"
"...I think Master knows best why I won't do that." Morgan expressionlessly looked at his face.
"I don't understand. Please enlighten me, Teacher."
Morgan turned her face away.
"I simply don't want to see a homunculus with my face lying in Master's bed during the Holy Grail War... It would make me uncomfortable."
"...Ahh, I see..."
In an instant, Ragna felt as if Morgan could read his mind since she knew what his true purpose was.
===
In the remote mountain town of Fuyuki stood an extraordinarily luxurious Western-style mansion, the residence of the Tohsaka family, who oversaw the ley lines of Fuyuki.
In the basement, Tohsaka Tokiomi listened to the report from his ally in the Holy Church.
"Is there still no lead on the sudden destruction of the Matou family overnight?"
This was the question that weighs most heavily on every mage currently participating in the Holy Grail War.
Who could possibly have eliminated Matou Zouken, the ancient undead mage, on his own turf?
"According to my father, it was a fallout with a secret ally Matou Zouken made acquaintance with about a year ago, just before the Holy Grail War began."
Reporting to Tokiomi now was none other than Kotomine Kirei, the son of Kotomine Risei who summoned Berserker Jack the Ripper just the other day.
Kirei betrayed the Holy Church three years ago and became Tokiomi's apprentice in magecraft.
After obtaining Command Spells, Tokiomi and Kirei publicly staged some kind of mentor-apprentice conflict, though it was all a ruse.
Kirei remained Tokiomi's loyal apprentice, devoted to the Tohsaka family's victory.
"It doesn't appear to have been a planned assault, rather, it seems like an unexpected battle that arose from a dispute between a foreigner mage and Matou Zouken over the ownership of the Holy Grail."
The evidence lay in the fact that Zouken's sons were not silenced since they actually still live to this day.
"However, Matou Sakura's whereabouts remain unknown."
Kirei reported his father's conclusion without any personal sentiment, and Tokiomi nodded after hearing it.
"I see... So Sakura was indeed lost in that blaze..."
Since Sakura's disappearance, his wife had spent her days in tears, while his eldest daughter had grown markedly quieter.
Tokiomi couldn't help but sigh.
He had already prepared himself for this outcome when he sent his daughter to the rival family.
Yet, he didn't expect this day to arrive so soon.
After a long silence, Tokiomi spoke again.
"You know, my thoughts align with your father's. I fail to see how killing Matou Zouken benefits that foreigner mage; it must have been a momentary impulse."
Nevertheless, even though the Matou family had declined over generations, the defeat of a powerful mage like Zouken was truly unexpected.
"The downfall of the Matous... Perhaps this marks the end of the history of the three founding families."
Although Tokiomi spoke mournfully, his expression showed no sorrow at all.
To him, the fall of the Matou family signified a turning point.
Perhaps the history of the Holy Grail War would come to a complete end in this generation, ending with his claiming the Holy Grail and reaching the Root.
"So, what about the intelligence on the foreign mage who eliminated Matou Zouken? Has the Holy Church identified him?"
Tokiomi clenched his fingers tightly around the armrest of the chair, silently resolving that at the very least he must avenge Sakura with his own hands.
To Tokiomi's question, Kirei shook his head expressionlessly.
"Really..."
Tokiomi sighed and narrowed his eyes before speaking up.
"My side also stationed spies in Europe to track the Matou family's overseas asset movements. I must admit, the method of transferring the money was very sophisticated; it seems there are professionals orchestrating it behind the scenes."
"After selling off the Matou family's properties and stocks scattered across Europe, they consolidated the money in Russia. From there, it was transferred from oligarchs to the mafia and circulated into Southeast Asia, with the next stop being China."
"In the end, this large sum of money flowed into a company in England."
Tokiomi explained in detail what he found.
"England? Not Japan?" Kirei confusedly raised his eyebrows.
"That's the problem..." Tokiomi nodded, then spoke thoughtfully. "The British company that eventually received the money belongs to the overseas division of the Kuonji Group..."
"Kuonji Group..." Kirei mulled over the name.
In Japan, it was a well-known giant corporation, with its influence not only prevalent domestically but also surpassing its roots overseas.
Kirei couldn't understand why would such a big company be involved with the world of magecraft.
Noticing his apprentice's confusion, Tokiomi spoke slowly.
"The eldest son of the Kuonji family, the de facto head of the Kuonji Group, has a daughter with the Pure Witch."
"Pure Witch? So, killing Matou Zouken was orchestrated by the heiress of the Kuonji Group?" Kirei speculated.
"We can't confirm that yet, but if it's her, it wouldn't be surprising even if she eliminated Matou Zouken."
After saying that, Tokiomi's eyebrows furrowed—a look that he had not even shown when discussing the genius Lord El-Melloi previously.
"Is this Pure Witch's daughter a more powerful opponent than a Lord of the Clock Tower?" Kirei asked, noting his mentor's expression.
"In terms of combat, the daughter of the Pure Witch is undoubtedly more formidable than a Lord of the Clock Tower..." Tokiomi answered firmly. "If possible, I truly wish not to be her enemy."
Thinking about this messy matter, Tokiomi sighed slightly before a solemn look appeared on his face.
"Fragments of the First Magic, huh..."
