Knock, knock.
Knock, knock.
Knock... creak.
Just as Chiron was considering whether to call out, the door finally opened.
"Please co in, Archer."
"My apologies..." Chiron pushed the door open, avoiding Reika’s smiling face as he quickly scanned the surroundings, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
The furnishings hadn’t changed much—perhaps out of caution toward him. Black Assassin held a spear in hand... and this Assassin’s Master bore traces of lingering magical energy.
Of course, Chiron had no knowledge of what Reika and Sakatsuki had been doing in secret. Combining what Astolfo had told him, he had pieced together what he believed to be a reasonable assumption.
Was it the magecraft used to heal that homunculus?
"Might I ask, Archer, what brings you here tonight?" Reika’s soft voice interrupted Chiron’s thoughts.
"Ah, I ca to express my gratitude for your rescue of the homunculus."
"Homunculus?" Reika blinked, a flicker of wariness crossing her face. "How did you know about that? Did Rider tell you?"
"Yes. Since Rider’s room wasn’t suitable for concealnt, he brought the homunculus to mine."
As he spoke, Chiron discreetly observed Reika’s expression.
The woman, whose beauty seed almost too refined for a magus, first showed understanding—as if everything now made sense—before an involuntary trace of anxiety surfaced... a change so subtle that only soone with Chiron’s level of perception could have caught it.
Anxiety... So I was right. The representative of the Osarei family didn’t save that homunculus out of pity or kindness—otherwise, she would have thanked .
In that case... what are they planning?
"I see... Thank you, Archer. Also, it’s getting late. If there’s nothing else, we should rest now."
Before long, Reika’s expression returned to normal. She thanked Chiron and then subtly began ushering him out—better to send the great sage away before he noticed anything else, even if their hypnosis and psychological disguise seed to have fooled him.
Yet Chiron did not leave.
"While I’m here, I’d like to ask you a few questions, Miss Reika." At his words, the Assassin beneath the black cloak began radiating displeasure, but the golden-haired sage acted as if he didn’t notice, staring straight at Reika as he spoke:
"Why would a family that severed ties with Yggdmillennia ten years ago return to aid them now, of all tis? You must know Yggdmillennia has declared war on the Mage’s Association, correct?"
"Do you truly believe Yggdmillennia can win against the Mage’s Association?"
"That has nothing to do with . I’m rely an executor sent by my family. The elders’ considerations are beyond my knowledge."
Reika’s reply was flawless, but Chiron clearly wasn’t satisfied. He pressed further:
"By the way, Lord Danic also asked to send his regards to the elders of the Osarei family, especially ▉▉▉·Osarei. Before the Osarei clan left the Yggdmillennia, he and that lord were quite close."
The mont Chiron uttered that na, not only did Artoria silently tighten her grip on her spear, but even Reika froze slightly.
Because the na Chiron ntioned was completely unknown to them.
The Osarei family had long been eradicated by Sakatsuki, and their genealogy was scattered to who-knows-where. How could they possibly know who was who in that family?
But if they answered carelessly, what if Chiron was setting a trap? What if that person didn’t actually know Danic at all, or even had a grudge against him?
Yet Reika couldn’t afford to hesitate—because hesitating too long... would also be an answer in itself.
"I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Lord Chiron."
In the end, Reika shook her head, denying Chiron’s claim. "As far as I know, there was no such person in the Osarei clan. Or perhaps it’s because I was secretly raised from a young age and never t this elder."
This part wasn’t in Sakatsuki’s contingency plan—these words were purely Reika’s improvisation.
The reason was simple: Sakatsuki had told her that the Osarei family had been ostracized.
How could soone on good terms with Danic beco an elder? Moreover, why would such a ssage need to be delivered by Chiron?
Wouldn’t Fiore herself have co to show sincerity?
Sure enough, after a brief pause, Chiron wore an awkward yet polite smile.
"Is that so? Then perhaps I was presumptuous... By the way, Miss Reika, where is the child you brought? It’s so late—we can’t let her wander around the Fortress of Millennia unsupervised."
Still not letting go of his suspicions, huh, Greece’s Great Sage?
Artoria sighed inwardly, already preparing to fight their way out with Reika.
Little Jack was still on her way back—there was no way to call her here now.
But just then, a timid voice ca from the doorway.
"Um... Mommy?"
Artoria perked up, Chiron turned around in surprise, and Reika’s eyes lit up.
A small child draped in a black cloak stood at the door, holding a box of materials in her hands.
"The materials Mommy asked for... I got them from an... uncle," Jack recited word for word from Sakatsuki’s instructions in her mind. "Um, this gentleman is... Lord Archer?"
"Yes, my apologies for disturbing you so late at night." Chiron looked at Jack and the magical materials in her hands, easily imagining that Reika had sent the child to fetch them.
It seed this probe had yielded no results after all.
Chiron sighed inwardly and took his leave. But just as he reached the door, Reika suddenly called out to him.
"Lord Archer."
The green-dressed woman holding Jack smiled and spoke bluntly to Chiron:
"If you ever feel that the Yggdmillennia clan doesn’t suit you, our Osarei family welcos you."
"...Please refrain from saying such things in the future, Miss Reika." After a quiet response, Chiron closed the door behind him.
As the sound of footsteps faded away, the smile on Reika’s face gradually vanished. Suddenly, she staggered and collapsed onto the bed without a care for grace.
"Mommy!"
"Reika, what’s wrong?"
At the sound of concern, Reika let out a long sigh, only then realizing belatedly that her back was already drenched in sweat, and her legs were so weak she lacked the strength to even stand up.
"As expected of Archer..."
***
Fiora’s Room.
"So, the Osarei family ca to our Yggdmillennia with the possible intention of seizing power?"
The disabled girl sitting in a wheelchair with her hands folded properly on her lap listened to Chiron’s report with a look of surprise.
"Yes... At the very least, the words Lady Reika conveyed to at the end suggested such intentions."
Chiron remained kneeling on one knee, earnestly reporting what he had seen and heard during his visit.
Naturally, he omitted the matter of the homunculus and his past reasons.
"Hmm..." Fiora pondered. "I’ve already inquired—that child did indeed request so magical materials from the storeroom, all related to black magic, which aligns with the Osarei characteristics... What do you think, Uncle?"
Hearing this, the man leaning against the wall shifted slightly, steadying himself. In an instant, all the light in the room seed to converge on his ceremonial robe, his cane, and his calm face.
Darnic—the undisputed master of Yggdmillennia, the spiritual leader of the Black Faction.
"If what Archer says is true, then I am actually relieved."
"Uncle?"
Fiora looked up in surprise, only to see a genuine smile on Darnic’s face.
"The Osarei family... It seems they truly know nothing."
They knew nothing of who the mastermind had been back then, nor of how far Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia had developed Yggdmillennia after over a decade of managent.
"There’s no need to fear resistance from the Osarei family. My only concern was that they might be hiding their true intentions—a hidden viper is always the most fearso."
As he spoke, Darnic cast an approving glance at Chiron.
"Thank you, Lord Archer. You’ve clarified the Osarei’s intentions for us. With this knowledge, we can focus entirely on dealing with the Mage’s Association’s provocations."
"B-But, Uncle! What about Miss Reika Rikudou and the others...?"
"Don’t worry, Fiora." Darnic smiled, interrupting his successor.
"You must understand—with and you here, Yggdmillennia has nothing to fear from any challenge. A re Osarei is hardly worth concern."
With targeted preparations, even if the Osarei family tried to incite rebellion among their mbers, they would have no opening to exploit.
Yet this suprely confident Darnic overlooked just how extraordinary Reika Rikudou was—and how dangerous and cunning an opponent Sakatsuki, standing behind her, truly was.
What Darnic saw was rely what Sakatsuki wanted him to see. Every move the head of Yggdmillennia made was precisely what Sakatsuki intended.
Like a chess piece on the board, Darnic was utterly misled by Reika’s every action, failing to see the true player’s fingers gradually pushing him toward the cliff’s edge.
After all—who said the only way to overthrow Yggdmillennia was to rally different factions and topple Darnic’s throne in a political ga?
Were these Servants, who transcended reality and defied all expectations, not the finest weapons for such a struggle?
***
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