Type-Moon: Root Seiko

However, because this process also requires a lot of magic, and Youzhu needs to drink a cup of black tea to rest from time to time, the project is not progressing quickly.

Luo Zhen, on the other hand, continued to be a good assistant to the Tohsaka family.

She assists the mustachioed uncle Tokiomi by serving as his teaching assistant to his two daughters.

Rin and Sakura's talents are delightful. With no more worries about the future, Tokiomi Tohsaka no longer agonizes over which daughter should inherit the family crest and devotes himself to imparting all the knowledge he can to them.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Tokiomi Tohsaka had also prepared himself for the possibility that he might not survive the Holy Grail War.

Putting aside the possibility of defeat and death, even if he wins the Holy Grail War smoothly and truly opens the path to the Root.

Tokiomi never thought he would be able to come back; when that time came, it would be time to say goodbye to his two daughters.

He couldn't possibly regret it... he was just a little reluctant to leave his two daughters in the care of Ryougi and that Grand Puppeteer.

Luo Zhen never agrees with the magician's absurd values, but he also doesn't interfere.

He also did his best to nurture these two talented children, while trying his best to keep them from deviating too much from the values ​​of ordinary people.

In this peaceful and blissful time, which could almost be described as a vacation.

One day, Orange received a message from the intelligence hunter she had commissioned.

She told Ryoujin, "We've found information about the magician assassin you're looking for, Emiya Kiritsugu."

"He's dead. A month ago, in the Middle East."

Chapter 25 The Big One Is Coming

"Emiya Kiritsugu is dead?" Ryouma asked with a suspicious look.

He's in the kitchen making breakfast right now. The bacon in the frying pan is sizzling and making a sizzling sound.

Orange, who had just received the first fax of the morning, held up the document in her hand to show him: "If the Emiya Kiritsugu you're talking about is the one who goes around accepting jobs to assassinate magicians, then that's him."

"He has been active for over a decade, killing countless magicians. And unlike ordinary magicians, he is more like a 'magician.' He treats magic as a tool and is also proficient in modern firearms and machinery, truly like a professional assassin in the modern sense. Of course, he would be despised and wanted by the entire magic community, and it wouldn't be surprising if he died at the hands of his enemies at any time."

That's true... Luo Zhen nodded in response to Orange.

A magician, skilled in firearms, and a professional assassin.

These characteristics are indeed those of the Emiya Kiritsugu that Luo Zhen knows. There shouldn't be another case like this in the world.

But he died in the Middle East, the Middle East...

"...Wait, Orange, what did you just say?"

Luo Zhen took out the fried bacon and placed it on absorbent paper while asking.

"Being wanted by the magic world, it wouldn't be surprising if you died at any time?" Orange repeated.

Luo Zhen shook his head vigorously: "No, no, no."

He then used the oil from frying the bacon to make scrambled eggs, pouring in the egg mixture mixed with scallions from the center:

"It's earlier, the very first sentence. How many years did you say he was active continuously?"

"More than ten years."

Orange didn't understand what Luo Zhen was surprised about: "That man is in his thirties now. He started to show his talent in his teens, leaving a record as a mercenary. Then, until last year, there was information about him committing assassinations of magicians. This time, he probably went to the Middle East to find an assassination target, but he was killed instead."

"What's wrong? From what you're saying, you think he shouldn't have been active for so long? Do you know anything about this man?"

“…No, I don’t understand now,” Luo Zhen replied calmly.

He spread out the slices of bread he had baked in the oven, trimmed off the edges, leaving only the white part.

Then, layer on the blanched and cooked lettuce, bacon, and scrambled eggs, squeezing in a small amount of sauce with each layer of ingredients to ensure a rich flavor.

Orange, Pearl, and Karen all have different favorite seasonings.

Especially for Karen's favorite hot sauce, add a little more than the normal amount.

After laying everything out, the kitchen helper then diagonally cuts the square slices of bread into triangles, and you have a homemade sandwich.

Luo Zhen plated his young ladies separately, then muttered to himself as he ate a piece of bread he had cut off:

"I just thought that kind of man would fit the Einzbern family's need for cheating, and maybe they would hire him. But they didn't this time."

"Oh~, is it your specialty, 'Akasha's Records' again?"

Orange joked.

Ever since she met Luo Zhen, she knew that this kid had a lot of rich and accurate knowledge, and even the ability to predict the future.

Luo Zhen explained that this all stemmed from the root cause, so Orange jokingly called it Akasha's record.

Whether it's true or not, Orange doesn't care.

In countless parallel worlds, even those with real-time future vision cannot fully predict the future.

So Orange was particularly relaxed: "When we went to Germany before, we also searched around for the Einzbern family's old nest. But they were really good at hiding it, so it's normal that we didn't find it."

"According to the information you have, the magician assassin was supposed to represent the Einzbern family in the Holy Grail War? Was it a big deal? Would he have won?"

Luo Zhen shook his head: "No. I don't think he's a big threat. He just wants the relic that the Einzbern family gave him."

He served the sandwiches.

Yuzhu and Karen, who were originally sleeping in their respective rooms, soon came out after smelling the aroma, and obediently brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and ate breakfast.

Luo Zhen took care of Karen, who had a small mouth, wiping away the chili sauce that had gotten on her lips from time to time.

"According to the information I have, the Einzbern family should be preparing the scabbard of 'King Arthur's Sword in the Lake' as a sacred relic."

"Leaving aside King Arthur himself, that scabbard truly grants its wielder immortality. Although it requires King Arthur's own bloodline to activate, it is still very valuable for research... Unfortunately, if Kiritsugu Emiya were no longer around, the Einzbern family might not have used that scabbard in the war."

Hmm... Orange and Yuzhu neither agreed nor disagreed, treating it as just casual conversation.

Based on Orange and Pearl's standards, I really don't think a Heroic Spirit—even a king from ancient times or even the age of gods—is anything special.

Those records of realms inscribed on the Throne of Heroes are simply those who lived, struggled, and may have left behind some great achievements in their respective eras.

There's no difference in status between those living in the present and those living in the past. Orange and Pearl don't hold the prejudice of favoring the past over the present and believe that the individuals recorded on the Throne of Heroes are necessarily better than themselves.

In short, Luo Zhen was just asking the question.

When Kiritsugu Emiya died, he was gone.

Whether the Einzbern family will participate in the Holy Grail War, and who they will represent as Master, will become clear in due course.

After all, the Holy Grail War will always bring together seven participants.

If you make too many preparations in advance and recruit too many people as allies, it will trigger the anti-cheating mechanism and lead to more unexpected events.

Luo Zhen's current spiritual origin, which he relies on to maintain himself, comes from the Greater Grail in Fuyuki. Therefore, he is even more aware that cheating rashly is a thankless task.

Instead of hindering those who are bound to participate in the war beforehand, it is better to prepare means to effectively defeat and win them over, and then take action after they summon their Servants.

So, Luo Zhen thought to himself, "I'll just keep doing what I'm supposed to do..."

"By the way, who killed Kiritsugu Emiya? Can we find out?"

As a continuation of casual conversation, Luo Zhen asked without much concern.

-----------------

As a result, the frost melted and the fragrance of flowers gradually intensified.

Spring is coming.

Luo Zhen, along with his own Kallen, and Rin and Sakura Tohsaka, spent the children's first winter vacation together.

This spring, Sakura reached the age to start elementary school, and from then on, Luo Zhen's responsibility of picking up and dropping off the little princess every day became even heavier.

Kallen is actually the same age as Sakura, but Ryouma doesn't plan to send her to school yet.

After all, Karen's physical and mental state are quite abnormal, and it would be easier for her to get hurt if she came into contact with too many ordinary people. Luo Zhen did not intend to take that risk.

But when Luo Zhen picks up and drops off the two sisters every day, he always brings Karen along so that the three children can play together.

With Rin and Sakura's talent, plus their astonishing speed in learning magic, there's no need to worry about them being influenced by Kallen's masochistic spiritual medium and developing sadistic desires. Brother Rozen is very at ease.

He desperately wanted this routine to continue... at least for another ten years! To see his three wonderful girls grow into beautiful young women!

But the important things at hand still need to be done.

On an ordinary day, Luo Zhen went to the Tohsaka family, whom he had known for a long time.

"Oh, Luo Zhenjun, you've also successfully obtained the Command Seals."

Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded with delight when he saw the three red marks on the back of Rozen's hand.

Chapter 26 The Church's Relics

Of course, the Command Seals on Luo Zhen's hands did not arise naturally.

He maintains his existence in this world by relying on the spirit foundation of heroic spirits.

There's no reason why a Heroic Spirit can't be summoned again. If that Heroic Spirit is also an excellent mage, then perhaps they can find a flaw in the rules of the Holy Grail Ritual and become a Master-summoned Servant themselves.

However, the Greater Grail wasn't so blind as to directly issue Command Spells to Heroic Spirits, otherwise their descendants would be endless.

Luo Zhen didn't intend to tell Tokiomi Tohsaka the secret of his Spirit Origin, but some things are better left unsaid.