The Monarch of the Spirit Evocation Departnt, Rufreus Nazeleyoulyphes, was currently seated in his office, gazing at his daughter.
His daughter was none other than Sola, recently returned from Fuyuki City—the fiancée of Kayneth.
Although Sola initially refused to believe that Kayneth and Lancer were dead, as ti passed and her emotions settled, she ca to realize that Kayneth was likely truly gone.
Otherwise, she could not explain why all traces of Kayneth had vanished or the presence of that massive bloodstain on the ground.
"You're saying Kayneth is dead…? It's hard to believe."
Sitting in his chair, Rufreus listened to Sola's tearful account. His aged face was lined with a grave expression.
The Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City was viewed by the Mage's Association as nothing more than a minor ritual in so remote backwater, hardly worth ntioning.
For Kenneth, one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, participating in the Holy Grail War was supposed to be little more than an enhancent to his résumé. Most people didn't think it would pose any real danger.
Tsk.
It was no wonder Rufreus thought of the Holy Grail War as just a small ceremony. After all, the three founding families of the Grail War had deliberately concealed its connection to the Third Magic and the Holy Grail to prevent prominent figures from joining the competition.
Thus, the Mage's Association remained unaware that the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City was, in fact, an event aid at achieving the ultimate dream of countless magi—the Third Magic.
Had they known, no doubt more Lords would have fought tooth and nail to claim the Holy Grail.
"I never expected things to turn out this way either…"
Sola's face still bore traces of shock and grief.
To an outsider, it appeared she was mourning Kenneth, the Lord to whom she was engaged but had yet to marry.
But Sola knew the truth—what she grieved for was not Kenneth, but Lancer, the heroic spirit Kenneth had summoned: Diarmuid.
"Well, since Kenneth is dead… the engagent will have to be annulled."
Rufreus looked at Sola and spoke with resignation—he couldn't possibly have his daughter marry a dead man.
"Moreover, Kenneth's death will likely plunge the El-lloi faction into chaos."
As this thought crossed his mind, Rufreus felt a headache coming on. One reason he had arranged the engagent between Sola and Kenneth was to unify the fragnted aristocratic faction.
But before this plan could even begin, one of the aristocrats—the El-lloi faction—was already poised to fall apart. This left him deeply frustrated.
There weren't many capable individuals within the El-lloi faction. Kenneth had been one of the most outstanding among them. Now that he was gone, the faction would inevitably descend into a terrifying internal power struggle, leaving it in ruins.
Before Rufreus could formulate his next steps, the door to his office was suddenly pushed open.
"…Hmm?"
Rufreus looked up to see a young man entering, accompanied by a little girl.
"Who are you…? Don't barge into a Lord's office uninvited."
Though Rufreus was an old man, he was a staunch aristocrat and rembered the faces of every noble mage clearly.
The two before him, Zuke and Matou Sakura, were unfamiliar. Naturally, he assud they were just ordinary magi, and he was visibly displeased with their rude intrusion.
But before he could finish speaking, his body froze—golden chains had erged from the ripples behind Zuke, instantly binding both Rufreus and Sola.
The Chains of Heaven.
As the chains that bound gods wielded by Gilgash, they were particularly effective against divine beings. However, that didn't an they were useless against those without divinity.
After all, they were Noble Phantasms. Even Iskandar, who possessed minimal divinity, couldn't break free from them. For Rufreus, a re mage, there was no chance of escape.
"The Monarch of the Spirit Evocation Departnt, Rufreus, correct?"
Zuke glanced at the stunned expression on Rufreus's face and nodded in satisfaction.
"I need your help with sothing—not a difficult task. I suggest you think carefully before responding."
As he spoke, Zuke's gaze shifted to Sola, who had been inadvertently caught up in the binding, and his expression turned thoughtful.
"Oh, right. This woman is your daughter, isn't she? In that case, this might make more sense—Kenneth and his summoned heroic spirit were both killed by ."
"You… are a heroic spirit?"
Bound tightly, Rufreus quickly understood the situation. He stared wide-eyed at Zuke.
"How could this be…? This power goes far beyond ordinary Spirit Evocation…"
Typical Spirit Evocation only allowed a mage to borrow a small portion of a heroic spirit's power. But Zuke's abilities far exceeded what was possible through conventional ans.
It was only now that Rufreus realized the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City might not be the insignificant summoning ritual he had assud.
However, Zuke had no interest in discussing the nature of the Grail War. He patted the head of Matou Sakura beside him and addressed Rufreus:
"In simple terms, I want her to study magecraft at the Clock Tower. Her potential is exceptional—she's a descendant of the Tohsaka family."
"Tohsaka… a disciple of the Jewel Lord?"
Rufreus glanced at Matou Sakura. As Zuke had predicted, the Tohsaka na carried weight within the Clock Tower.
After all, the Jewel Lord held significant status within the Mage's Association, and the Tohsaka family had gained prestige by association.
"I understand… enrolling her at the Clock Tower is sothing I can arrange."
"Even so, I am a heroic spirit, after all. How could I trust that you won't change your mind later?"
Zuke wagged his finger at Rufreus, as the black bird manifested behind him. Using the ability of High Frequency Sax, the bird beca visible to the naked eye.
"What… is that?"
Rufreus stared at the black bird. As the Monarch of the Spirit Evocation Departnt, his instincts told him this was so form of Spirit Evocation—but he couldn't identify any known technique that matched this scenario.
In the next mont, a small raven flew out from the black bird's fingertip—an extension of "Justice," split off to form a "Lover."
The raven darted into Rufreus's ear, embedding itself in his brain.
"You should have felt it by now—that raven is inside your brain."
Zuke observed the darkening expression on Rufreus's face, waiting until the latter understood his predicant.
"If you fail to check on Sakura within a month or if she suffers any harm due to you, the black bird will instantly destroy your brain."
Zuke had already tested whether components of the "black bird" would remain functional in a mission world after his departure.
Sure enough, even after he left, the feather he had left with Matou Sakura remained intact.
Thus, the "Lover" implanted in Rufreus's brain would act as a remote, automatic Stand-in, ensuring Rufreus dared not harm Matou Sakura. Moreover, with the condition that Rufreus must check on her at least once a month, he would be forced to ensure her well-being.
To be continued…
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