BCloud
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MMMS 30
🕑 Added 2025-04-20 23:24:27 +0000 UTCA Mercedes-Benz cruised through Fuyuki's streets at a steady pace, the evening sunset bathing everything in an orange glow.
Surprisingly, the Lancer team's vehicle was following Japanese traffic laws perfectly.
This wasn't because the Einzbern princess had suddenly become a rule-abiding citizen, but because Artoria was behind the wheel.
"Irisviel, are you feeling better now?" Lancer turned her head with concern toward the woman sitting in the passenger seat.
Ever since that kiss in the restaurant, Irisviel seemed like a completely different person.
The energy and curiosity that normally lit up her face had vanished, replaced by silence and withdrawal.
"..."
The princess didn't respond to her knight's concern. She just stared silently ahead, as quiet as a doll.
"...Irisviel."
The second attempt finally seemed to reach her.
"Oh... Artoria, were you calling me just now?"
"Are you feeling all right?"
She forced a smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for making you worry, Lancer."
"Is that so? That's good to hear. When we get back to the hotel, we should contact Kiritsugu right away and tell him about what happened today—"
"No!"
A sharp cry suddenly came from the passenger seat, startling even Artoria.
"What?"
Irisviel shook her head quickly and said, "I mean... let's not tell Kiritsugu about today's incident. It's really not important enough to mention."
"But today you were... that disrespectful person just..." Artoria struggled to find the right words.
For a knight, a woman's honor was more important than almost anything else. Even if Kiritsugu later criticized her for "failing to protect Iri" or called her "incompetent," Artoria couldn't stand the thought of Irisviel suffering such humiliation without consequence.
"You cannot tell Kiritsugu about this," Irisviel said with unexpected firmness. "He has noble and important goals. He can't be distracted by my personal matters—it might affect his judgment during the Holy Grail War."
"But you were—"
"I'm... fine. Thank you for worrying about me, Artoria."
"If that's what you want, Irisviel, I understand. However—" She hesitated several times before finally keeping to herself the words that had nearly escaped her lips.
Was it just her imagination? For just a brief moment, she thought she had seen Irisviel's snow-white body emitting faint black waves.
....
The Caster team set up their base in a small family inn tucked away in a quiet corner of Miyama Town in Fuyuki.
They secured the location by renting out the entire inn for a month and having Morgan hypnotize the owner. With this combination of financial and magical influence, Ryuuto gained complete control of the modest three-story building.
Once they settled in, he considered his Holy Grail War officially underway.
His first priority was dealing with Ryuunosuke, the serial killer lurking somewhere in Fuyuki.
He began by checking public records to locate Ryuunosuke Uryuu's family home. With luck, he might find Ryuunosuke there just after summoning his Servant, which would spare him from having to search through the unpleasant, odorous Fuyuki sewer system.
After completing his research, he informed Morgan of his plan.
"You want me to go after the enemy Master alone?" She asked.
She wasn't particularly surprised that he knew exactly where to find the enemy Master, but the instruction to confront him without backup caught her off guard.
"What are you planning now? Sending me to fight alone doesn't seem like your style. Didn't you say earlier that you weren't the type to command from the rear?"
He rolled his eyes. 'We've only lived together for about thirty days, we haven't even shared a bed, and now she's talking like she completely knows me.'
She was right, though. He did have something in mind: he wanted Morgan to confront Gilles de Rais alone, who would likely appear as a Berserker. That twisted magus would certainly have a strong reaction upon seeing a face so similar to Artoria's.
"What is this?!"
Ryuuto imagined Gilles crying out.
"Oh God, why are you being so cruel!"
"How can this be happening! The Holy Virgin has truly become a witch!"
"Jeanne, my Jeanne..."
While Morgan and Gilles confronted each other, he planned to be comfortably seated in a warm room with the heater turned up high. He would sip fine whiskey while watching everything through his familiar's eyes. He was particularly curious about Morgan's reaction. It would be quite entertaining.
He realized his smile was becoming too obvious.
Composing his expression, he said flatly, "Is there a problem, Caster? Or are you saying you don't have the confidence to fight by yourself?"
"...Hmph." She gave him a knowing look before turning to leave his room. "Just wait here for my report of success, Master."
After she left, he sent a pigeon familiar to follow her, eager to see the encounter.
He felt no guilt about what might happen to Caster. In fact, he considered it perfectly justified. Why? Because Morgan had played a role in Gilles de Rais' downfall.
The full story went back quite a ways.
Shortly after Ryuuto came into being, he encountered someone who became perhaps the only kindred spirit he'd ever known.
For someone to be considered a kindred spirit by the Great Red Dragon—without being completely evil—they would have to be someone reviled by both divine and human worlds alike.
And that was exactly the case.
This person was Francesca Prelati—a wicked magus with the blood of the demon god Baal running through her veins.
During the Hundred Years' War, Prelati had worked alongside Gilles de Rais.
She was the one who provided Gilles with her translation of the "R'lyeh Text."
She was also responsible for Joan of Arc's terrible death in the flames.
And this young woman, who shared Ryuuto's sin of gluttony, had once been Morgan le Fay's student.
Whenever he considered this connection, he felt certain that summoning Morgan couldn't have been mere chance.
It made him believe in destiny again.
Less than five minutes after Morgan left, he watched through the crystal ball connected to his pigeon familiar's vision. The elegant face of the British witch appeared on the screen.
"?"
He leaned forward, confused by what he was seeing. Morgan was looking directly at the familiar with a mocking expression.
She had discovered the pigeon he'd sent to spy on her and promptly shot it down with a magical bullet.
The final image he saw was Morgan looking down at him triumphantly as she crushed the familiar beneath her high heel.
"Oh no, my poor pet..."
