Magician in Type-Moon

Page 9

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen Old Bug. He hasn't shown his face in front of me since the last test. The only thing I know is that he recently inspected the Matou family's ancestral shrine in Japan."

"Recalling when the Soul-Suppressing Bullet hit him, the inscribed worms died and fell from his body, emitting strange mutterings. Coupled with the soul worms he gave me before, could it be that his soul has also encountered a problem?"

"Looks like we need to pay more attention to the old bug..."

......

Outside the window, wind and snow raged, and the outer side of the crystal-polished windowpane was covered with a thick layer of frost. It was an extremely cold night that froze the forest and the earth.

A castle built on frozen soil stands amidst the cold wind; this place is the edge of the sky and the corner of the sea, the location of a city called Einzbern.

Ancient magicians quietly continued their lineage, residing in this remote, uninhabited ancient city deep in the mountains.

Inside the castle, a room is warmed by the fireplace. The room is decorated in a medieval Nordic style, using soft furs and expensive ebony as its main materials.

"Kiritsugu, when will this snow stop?!"

A barefoot, white-haired girl stood by the window, her bright, lively eyes fixed on the outside, as if trying to stop the blizzard with her gaze.

The man called Kiritsugu was reclining in a bearskin chaise lounge, looking at a document with unreadable content. Upon hearing his daughter's words, he said gently:

"The snow will stop when that window stops freezing."

Upon hearing her father's response, the girl hopped up behind him, wrapped her snow-white arms around his neck, and said sweetly:

"No, no, Kiritsugu, quickly help me think of a way to stop the snow so that our walnut sprout search competition can be decided!"

The father, who was being held, felt his child's head almost reach over his shoulder and into his chest.

So he freed his right hand, patted the child's head, and said with a smile:

"Ilya, warm the window with your hands so it won't freeze and the snow will stop, then we can continue the walnut sprout competition. Ilya will be the hero then!"

Upon hearing her father's suggestion, Ilya skipped and hopped toward the icy windowsill and placed her little hand on the glass.

"Ouch, it's so cold!" she muttered under her breath after being suddenly chilled.

After a while.

"Kiritsugu, you big liar!"

At this moment, Ilya angrily shouted at her father, who was leaning back in his chair, her lips pouting and her red cheeks puffed out, looking just like a squirrel with its mouth full of nuts.

Hearing his daughter's call, Kiritsugu put down the documents in his hand, got up and walked towards Illya, who was "angry." He knelt down, covered Illya's small hands, and asked with a smile:

"What's wrong, Ilya?"

"Kiritsugu is a big liar. He can't even warm a window with his bare hands. I'm not playing with you anymore!"

Ilya huffed and turned her head to the side, but her little hand did not slip from Kiritsugu's grasp.

He was the father who was actively trying to amuse his daughter, but in the end, he would be overwhelmed with worry trying to appease her.

"Oh, that's terrible. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I apologize."

Upon receiving his daughter's ultimatum, Kiritsugu immediately conceded and offered a sincere apology.

“I can’t forgive Kiritsugu so easily just by apologizing.” Illya’s bright eyes darted around as she came up with a good idea.

"Then what should Daddy do to gain the princess's forgiveness?"

When Kiritsugu saw his youngest daughter's appearance, he knew that the mischievous girl had come up with some naughty idea again, but since it was ultimately his own fault, he asked her affectionately.

"I want Kiritsugu to go and warm up the window, then Illya will forgive you."

This was Ilya's clever plan, using their own methods against them.

Upon hearing these words, Kiritsugu realized that he had fallen into the trap he himself had set.

But Kiritsugu didn't resort to dishonest tactics this time; he had a better plan to overcome this predicament...

"Ugh, it's so cold." Kiritsugu Emiya pressed his hands against the window, deliberately making a face as if he were freezing, despite being a magician killer who had survived all kinds of harsh environments.

Upon seeing this, Ilya immediately pulled Kiritsugu's hands off and breathed hot air onto them.

"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time, but if there's a next time, Ilya will never play with you again!"

At that moment, the door to the room opened from the outside, and a woman with a beauty reminiscent of precious gemstones walked in.

She has long, silver hair like a waterfall, and her delicate skin makes her look more like a doll than a normal human. Her crimson eyes reflect a happy glow.

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Ilya skipped and hopped over, jumping directly into the woman's arms.

He muttered to himself, accusing the woman of his father's sins.

"Okay, okay, Mom will teach Kiritsugu a lesson in a bit." The woman picked up Illya and gently patted her back.

"Then there's no need. Kiritsugu has already admitted his mistake, Mother." When Illya heard her mother about to reprimand her father, she immediately spoke up for him, the contrast between her words and actions was somewhat amusing.

"Okay, okay, it's getting late. Ilya, go to sleep. Mom and Kiritsugu have things to do."

As she spoke, the woman handed her daughter to the nanny behind her, asking her to take her daughter back to her room to sleep.

The woman closed the door only after the nanny and her daughter had disappeared from sight.

"Irisviel, what's wrong?" Seeing his wife's behavior, Kiritsugu Emiya knew that she had something important to say, so he went to her side.

“A guest just arrived and is currently talking with the master in his room upstairs,” Irisviel replied to her husband with a worried expression.

Seeing his wife's expression, Kiritsugu knew that the visitor who had braved the blizzard might disrupt their plans, so he asked her:

"Who braved the blizzard to visit you, sir? May I know?" Kiritsugu stepped forward, embraced Irisviel, and whispered.

After a moment's hesitation, although she didn't reveal to Kiritsugu that it was a request from the patriarch Ahatur von Einzbern, her heart still leaned towards the man before her.

“It’s Machiri Zorgen from Fuyuki.”

Upon hearing this name, Kiritsugu Emiya fell silent. He couldn't understand why, with only five months until the Holy Grail War, he would meet with someone who was about to become his enemy? And why hide this from him, someone who was going to fight for Einzbern.

"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel looked at her husband with a slightly worried expression.

"It's alright, Alice. Perhaps the master has his own reasons," Kiritsugu Emiya comforted his wife. He knew that this was not what she wanted to see.

But given the current situation, the most important thing now is to find out exactly what kind of secrets are kept from him, an "outsider."

Stealing information from the realm of magic is essentially impossible.

Let's not even talk about how many barriers were actually set up inside Einzbern's castle.

The old man is a man who has lived for two centuries. Even if he can successfully eavesdrop using magic, he will most likely be discovered.

Fortunately, Kiritsugu Emiya had lived in this castle for at least eight years, so how could he not have done something to it?

Soon, Kiritsugu Emiya pulled a briefcase from the corner of the room. Inside was a set of sophisticated modern instruments.

This is a receiver from a wireless eavesdropping device, specifically designed to connect to a microphone placed inside the castle.

For traditional magicians, the products of modern technology are usually unacceptable. Disapproval equates to a lack of understanding, and a lack of understanding means vulnerability.

Wearing headphones, Kiritsugu Emiya carefully adjusted the receiver, listening intently to the faint signal. He gradually adjusted the frequency and gain to ensure the received sound was clearly discernible.

"Zizzizi..."

"Is the head of the Machiri family only contacting us at such a sensitive time for this reason?"

“Yobs, we have known each other for 150 years. I know you have a way to communicate with Him. I only have one request.”

(silence)......

"Then trade something! Don't you magicians love this kind of exchange of benefits the most?"

"Yobs, what do you want?"

"What do I want? Ha, what do I want? I only want the Heaven's Cup! It's only been two hundred years, and you, as the creator of the Holy Grail, have already fallen so low that you've even forgotten your original desire?"

(silence)......

"Yobs, how much do you know? Cough cough, how much do you know about His affairs? You probably only remember 'Completion' now, don't you?"

"Humph..."

"I will not participate in this Holy Grail War. The participants on Machiri's side have their own ideas."

"Hmph, since you're so insincere, there's nothing to talk about."

(silence)......

"Yobs, I'm dying."

"Huh? You're about to die? Don't you still have those underhanded ways to prolong your life? If you really want to die, then set your funeral date in advance, and I'll come and catch up with you then."

"That should be ten years from now..."

"Ok?"

"Because of something peculiar, I witnessed my own death... I've come to you this time to confirm some things..."

(silence)......

(silence)......

(silence)......

"Come with me..."

Tap. Tap tap... Tap tap... Tap tap... (sound of footsteps)

Kiritsugu Emiya took off his headphones, leaned back in his chair, and subconsciously touched his shirt pocket, only to find it empty. He then remembered that he had quit smoking eight years ago.

Seeing Kiritsugu Emiya's actions, Irisviel, who was sitting on the sofa nearby, slowly walked over, gently hugged him from behind, and asked:

"Kiritsugu, is something bad happening?"

Feeling Irisviel's body warmth, Kiritsugu Emiya took Irisviel's hand that was wrapped around his face, gently placed it on his cheek, and said softly:

"It's nothing, Alice. It's just that I didn't quite understand what the master and the others were saying. Nothing bad will affect our plans."

Hearing Kiritsugu Emiya's words, Irisviel felt slightly relieved, but she also realized that the information she had just overheard had still affected him. She knew he needed some private space to think things through, so she said:

"That's good. I'm a little sleepy too, so I'll go and rest with Illya. Don't worry, Kiritsugu, no matter what you do, the Einzbern family will always be your strong support, and Illya and I will definitely support you too."

Looking at his wife who was "fleeing in disarray," Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head and chuckled. Yes, he had been happily married for eight years now, with only one regret remaining.

As long as we can obtain the Holy Grail, as long as we can redeem this world.

But is it really worth exchanging your own happiness for a chance to save the world? Kiritsugu himself didn't know.

......