["Hey Waver! I hope this letter finds you well. It has been more than a month since we last met. As you might have guessed, I had matters to take care of, so I had to temporarily put my studies on hold.
I can't disclose the specifics of my current location, but I believe that one day we will meet again, and I will explain everything to you.
Of course, I haven't forgotten about the debt. If Lord Inorai comes looking for me, please receive her on my behalf.
And most importantly, thank you for all your help over this past year.
— Alaric, leaving."]
"This guy—"
Receiving a letter from someone who had disappeared long ago after so many days, Waver Velvet noticed from the postage stamp that it had been sent from Japan.
He quickly understood the situation—Alaric, who had suddenly vanished a month ago, had returned to his homeland.
But why send this letter? And what was this debt with Lord Valueta?
Waver Velvet had a feeling that Alaric had left behind quite a troublesome matter!
During the time that Alaric had successfully enrolled, the person who interacted with him the most was none other than Waver Velvet.
Aside from Melvin Weins, the student Waver had the most contact with was Alaric.
Throughout that year, Waver's impression of Alaric was that of a genius completely immersed in his studies, someone with even fewer social connections than himself.
If he wasn't studying, he was working—so much so that his classmates jokingly called him a workaholic handsome.
But what Waver cared about most was talent. Alaric's talent was something that could stand on equal footing with his own. Though he lacked a Magic Crest, which made him weaker than Waver, his future was full of potential.
Yet all of this was shattered a month ago. On a bright and sunny morning, Alaric disappeared without a trace, leaving no news behind—until now, when this letter finally arrived.
...
What the troubled young man, Waver Velvet, didn't know was that everything had started on the other side of the ocean, with Alaric, who had stepped onto new lands.
After a month of long travels, Alaric easily caught a free ride on a ship to this remote land.
No documents were needed—just money.
Tap, tap.
Alaric, having left the port, did not linger anywhere. Instead, he pulled out a map and began walking toward Fuyuki City.
In 1991, Japan—aside from the influence of the mystical world—was not much different from the country Alaric remembered.
From the economic boom of the 1980s to the subsequent crisis, asset prices (stocks and real estate) plummeted. The aftermath of the economic bubble's collapse had left Japan in a prolonged economic slump.
None of this mattered to Alaric, but the desolation he saw along the way made him slightly raise an eyebrow—perhaps he shouldn't have exchanged all his money for yen.
To ensure smooth transactions, Alaric had exchanged most of his British pounds for local currency before setting off. But as a result, his money was practically evaporating every second.
Alaric quickly continued his journey toward Fuyuki.
A year ago, when he first learned of the Holy Grail War, he had begun making preparations. The most important of these was reaching Fuyuki and carrying out his plans afterward.
The first step was to avoid detection by the Tohsaka family's bounded field—
"There's nothing here—"
Standing on the outskirts of Fuyuki, Alaric, carrying his luggage, scanned the city below with his gem-like eyes. He could not detect any bounded field placed over the spiritual land to monitor incoming magi.
Realizing this, Alaric understood that his precautions had been unnecessary. Shaking his head, he continued toward Fuyuki City.
By his calculations, the Tohsaka family, as the guardians of the land, should at least have set up a bounded field to prevent foreign magi from entering—or at the very least, a warning system.
Yet the reality was that there was no defense at all, allowing Alaric to enter Fuyuki with ease.
Was this confidence in their strength? Or had the Tohsaka family deliberately left things open due to the Holy Grail War?
Alaric had no way of knowing. The only thing he could confirm was that his opportunity had arrived!
The Greater Grail, part of the Heaven's Feel system, was hidden beneath Ryuudou Temple in a vast underground cavern. It was not actively guarded.
At most, familiars were stationed near the Grail to monitor it. As long as he avoided these familiars, Alaric could infiltrate the area where the Greater Grail was located!
Having done his homework, Alaric was eager to begin his plan. But just as he was about to take action, he noticed a grand structure in the distance, nestled within Fuyuki's outskirts.
A secluded place, surrounded by forests—the residence of a magus lineage, one of the three families that founded the Holy Grail War: the Einzbern's stronghold in Fuyuki.
Extending his senses slightly, Alaric did not detect any living presence within.
This confirmed that the Einzbern had yet to arrive in Fuyuki for the Holy Grail War.
Unlike the Tohsaka and Matou families, who had deeply rooted themselves in Fuyuki, the Einzbern resided in a distant land overseas.
They only sent representatives to Fuyuki when the Holy Grail War was about to begin, bringing with them the necessary Lesser Grail to complete and claim the Greater Grail.
Fuyuki's Holy Grail system consisted of two parts: the Greater Grail and the Lesser Grail.
The Greater Grail, the physical core of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, was connected to Fuyuki's ley lines, drawing mana from them to facilitate the Holy Grail War. It had the power to link to the Throne of Heroes and summon Heroic Spirits as Servants.
This was the foundation of the Holy Grail War.
The Lesser Grail, on the other hand, was the prize for the war's victor—the Holy Grail said to grant any wish.
In reality, it was merely a vessel designed to store the souls of defeated Servants and stabilize the magical energy pathway between the Greater Grail and the modern world, an essential component for achieving the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel.
The Lesser Grail was typically provided by the Einzbern. In the first three wars, it took the form of a chalice modeled after mythical Holy Grails. However, this time, the Einzbern had changed their approach—replacing the golden cup with a homunculus, a human-shaped magical artifact.
As the war progressed, the burden of holding Servant souls would gradually strip the homunculus of its humanity.
"The Lesser Grail, huh—"
Alaric was well aware that without a Lesser Grail, there was no way to open the gate to the Root and manifest the power of the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel.
After that brief detour, Alaric, carrying his luggage, successfully entered Fuyuki City. However, his snow-white short hair attracted quite a few stares along the way.
Ignoring this, Alaric found a luxurious hotel and used a forged ID to successfully check-in.
After a quick shower, he began scouting Fuyuki City—specifically, to observe how many familiars Tohsaka and Matou had deployed.
Even if they hadn't set up a large-scale bounded field to detect foreign magi, Alaric believed these two families wouldn't neglect information gathering. The presence of surveillance familiars was inevitable.
With the intent of gathering intelligence and sneaking into the underground cavern on a moonless night, Alaric wandered the city like an unemployed drifter, mapping out the ley lines as he went.
As he activated Concealment, most passersby subconsciously ignored his presence, as if he didn't exist at all.
Everything was going smoothly—until—
"What are you doing!"
A black-haired young girl suddenly appeared before Alaric.
Her black-and-white dress was expensive, and her small white socks and polished leather shoes made crisp sounds against the pavement.
Her long black hair was tied into twin tails, swaying with her movements. Her youthful face bore hints of the beauty she would grow into—a true noble lady.
'...?'
Alaric recognized this face all too well—or rather, the grown-up version of it.
[Tohsaka Rin]
The fifth-generation head of the prestigious Tohsaka magus family and the daughter of Tohsaka Tokiomi, Rin is an exceptionally talented magus. However, at this moment, she is merely a naïve four-year-old girl.
Who would have thought that the refined young lady Tohsaka Rin, ten years later, was once just a four-year-old child?
Without paying attention to Rin's questioning, Alaric turned his gaze toward the mature woman standing nearby and the other young girl she was holding in her arms.
"I apologize for the trouble Rin has caused you."
The mature woman holding the child slightly bowed, her ample figure creating an astonishing curve with the motion. She then spoke:
"My name is Tohsaka Aoi. These two are Rin and Sakura.
I sincerely apologize."
Rin had moved too quickly for Aoi to stop her in time.
To abruptly question a stranger was undoubtedly rude behavior, and for a family as distinguished as the Tohsakas, it was even more unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the young Sakura, still in Aoi's arms, curiously observed Alaric. Her eyes shimmered with curiosity, showing no fear of strangers—just like her older sister.
Judging from their personalities, the two sisters did not seem to have significant differences.
Hearing Aoi's words, Alaric smiled and replied:
"Not at all, Mrs. Tohsaka. Please don't worry about it.
By the way, I just arrived in this city today. Could you tell me where the church is?"
Aside from investigating Fuyuki's terrain and the presence of familiars, Alaric also needed to visit the Holy Church's base to find out who the current priest was.
Given the current situation, unless an Executor from the Burial Agency was dispatched, any agent sent by the Holy Church to Fuyuki would not pose a threat to his plans.
Still, Alaric preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble. He decided to probe the church first before heading to the Greater Grail.
"Why aren't you answering me?"
Having been ignored for too long, the young Rin could no longer stand it. She walked directly up to Alaric, furrowing her small face, and stared firmly at him.
"Are you planning to do something bad?"
As if shocked by Rin's words, not only Alaric but even her mother, Aoi, let out a small gasp before quickly grabbing Rin's tiny hand.
"Rin, that's inappropriate. You must mind your manners."
"But, Mother, he was definitely up to something bad just now!"
The young Rin did not seem to possess the same keen intellect that she would develop as she grew older. Instead, she bluntly pointed it out right in front of Alaric.
Hearing this, Aoi gave Alaric an apologetic nod, her expression carrying a subtle, embarrassed smile.
"I was just strolling around. Why would you think I was doing something bad?"
Alaric smiled, just about to explain when he suddenly sensed an approaching magical presence.
Despite noticing the presence, he maintained an oblivious demeanor until a man's voice rang out.
"Aoi, who is this gentleman?"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of footsteps, an elegant man dressed in a wine-red suit slowly approached Aoi's side and took little Rin's hand.
He was a tall, impeccably poised man—flawless in both mannerisms and bearing, embodying elegance itself.
With well-defined features, deep contours, and a dignified yet composed aura, he exuded an air of refinement.
His neatly maintained brown wavy hair and the well-groomed beard on his chin added to his distinguished appearance. But what stood out most were his profound blue eyes.
"I presume this gentleman is your husband.
Nice to meet you, my name is Alaric. I'm a traveler from out of town."
Faced with this sudden encounter, Alaric remained composed, even extending a friendly handshake.
"Hello, I am Tohsaka Tokiomi. I apologize if my daughter has caused you any trouble."
Maintaining proper etiquette, Tokiomi shook hands with Alaric and smiled.
"Please forgive her."
"Not at all. I wish you a pleasant evening, Mr. Tohsaka."
As a mere passerby, Alaric smiled and said his farewell.
He knew a little about Tohsaka Tokiomi.
As the fifth-generation head of the Tohsaka family—one of the Three Founding Families—Tokiomi had been appointed as Fuyuki's Second Owner by the Mage's Association.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would be one of the participants in this Holy Grail War.
Moreover, during his time studying at the Clock Tower, Alaric had heard Tokiomi's name many times.
Tokiomi had made numerous innovations in magecraft and accumulated wealth by managing magical patents at the Clock Tower, earning himself a reputation as a genius within the Association.
After this brief encounter, Alaric soon faded from the Tohsaka family's memory—except for the two young sisters, who vaguely remembered this fleeting presence.
...
After parting ways with the Tohsakas and failing to obtain the church's location, Alaric took out the Fuyuki map he had prepared.
Before long, he found the church, located on the outskirts of the city.
Meeting the Tohsakas had been an unplanned detour. While he had sensed several approaching presences, he hadn't expected them to be members of the Tohsaka family—let alone that Rin would be so direct.
Several minutes later, upon reaching the rural church, Alaric attempted to push open its sealed doors.
Clang. Clang.
The heavy doors creaked open, allowing a faint holy light to cast upon Alaric's face.
Unbothered by the illumination, his gaze swept across the church interior, where only one person stood before him.
A man with short brown hair and brown eyes.
Dressed in a cassock made of Kevlar fiber, a cross necklace hanging from his chest, and brown boots covering his feet.
The man named Kotomine Kirei locked eyes with Alaric.
"Do you need something?"