In Type-Moon, people create a magic family lineage

Yuzhu's physique is much weaker than Aoko's.

Of course, this was a preconceived notion.

And now...

Sitting next to him, Lu Kang glanced sideways at the table, which was almost completely crammed with the latest fashions and jewelry, beautifully packaged snacks, and adorable dolls. Carrying such a pile of stuff through the streets and back, Lu Kang thought that his physical strength would be at least an 'A' in the Holy Grail War. He was also somewhat glad that he had made an excuse to be busy and hadn't gone out with them.

Thinking this, Qingzi suddenly sat up abruptly, still lying face down, but then turned her face to Lu Kang. The buttons on the girl's chest popped open, revealing a delicate and soft area. Her brown eyes, which were draped over her hair, narrowed slightly as she said, "You were alone in this room just now. You didn't do anything bad to our luggage, did you?"

"Yes," Lu Kang replied earnestly.

"!?"

So honest?

“Through your luggage, I’ve cursed you with the belief that you’ll all have aches and pains tomorrow,” Lu Kang said.

"You're so vicious!"

Aoko sat up abruptly and jumped next to Yuzu: "Quick, Yuzu, give him a good scolding!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Yuzhu's somewhat disappointed expression.

No.

What are you disappointed about?

Aoko scratched her head.

"Alright," Lu Kang waved his hand, "Besides these things, what other things did you find while you were out shopping?"

"Don't tell me that's all—you're magicians, for goodness' sake!"

"If you really don't have it, don't blame me for not reimbursing you."

"Uh... um..." Aoko's eyes darted around.

Although she did go there purely out of curiosity, she did go under the guise of 'gathering intelligence' before leaving. Before coming, they all knew about the Fuyuki Holy Grail War—although they didn't know much about it, they more or less understood that a Heroic Spirit-level battle was about to take place in this city.

Using this as a pretext, Qingzi asked Lu Kang for a large sum of 'funds'.

But is this something that can be said outright?

Is he openly admitting that he's 'cheating for funding'?

"It smells terrible."

Compared to Aoko's evasive answers, Arizuka seemed to have remembered something and spoke earnestly:

"This city..."

"It has a foul smell, like insects."

A stench like insects—?

"Looks like you've been targeted by that old bug!"

Lu Kang suddenly realized.

"Old bug? Who?" Qingzi looked at Lu Kang, then at Youzhu, completely bewildered, like Louis XVI.

There has to be an end to what you're saying, right?

“He is a very ugly old insect who has lived for five hundred years. He is also one of the original three who established the Holy Grail War, and the earliest three starter families.” Lu Kang said, “His name is ‘Matou Zouken’.”

Lu Kang paused slightly as he spoke.

He suddenly remembered something.

“There is a pearl.” He suddenly spoke.

Yuzhu paused, then asked, "Huh?"

"Do you want a 'student' who can inherit your fairy tale magic to some extent?"

Chapter 174 The Holy War Can Be Avoided, But the Old Bug Must Die

The slippery, sticky stone walls stretched as far as the eye could see, and the deep passage leading down was filled with the chilling chirping of countless insects. A hunched, ashen-faced old man with a cane emerged from within, his dark, old-fashioned kimono making him look like the most sinister and terrifying wild priest from a classical era.

"Father."

The old man immediately heard a trembling, fearful voice.

"Ah."

He didn't even bother to look at it, and simply asked, "How is that Tohsaka child adapting to life in the Matou family?"

"Although I'm still shy around strangers, I'm not as resistant to them anymore."

The voice replied.

"That's good—that child possesses extremely rare 'materials,' so we must take good care of him before using him." Although the old man was speaking to a person, and most likely a child, he spoke with a sense of indifference towards objects.

What he disregarded was not just the 'children' he mentioned.

And then there's the ordinary middle-aged man in front of him who calls him father and is clearly related to him by blood.

"Go down."

"You can bring Shinji over when you have time. Having someone his own age to keep him company will probably help him adapt faster."

"Furthermore, without my order, you are not allowed to set foot in this place again."

They spoke to them in a tone as if they were treating a servant.

However, the middle-aged man did not dare to overstep his bounds.

Watching his departing figure, the indifference in the hunched and terrifying old man's eyes grew stronger. He felt neither sorrow nor joy, only thinking that it seemed the future of the 'Matou family'... no, it should be the 'Zorgen family' could only be entrusted to that child.

With that child's truly rare magical attributes, even with only six months left, with proper 'modification,' he should be able to shine brightly in the upcoming Holy Grail War...

The old man walked unsteadily out of the dark 'cave'.

Step into the ancient courtyard.

Nestled amidst distant mountains and nearby waters, the Matou family's residence is located in the deep mountain town of Fuyuki City's old town. The environment is so quiet that no matter what noises occur, no matter how loudly the 'insects' chirp, they will not attract attention.

The old man paused slightly between these two points.

After that, as if sensing something, he suddenly raised his head.

“A guest who has come from afar cannot be considered a good guest if he enters without knocking!” The old man’s deep, hoarse voice, which sounded like the chirping of insects, echoed among the rustling leaves.

With a loud roar.

The moment the words were spoken, the ancient gate of the mansion collapsed with a crash.

"Is this the place? The place Lu Kang mentioned, that disgusting old bug's place."

The girl's voice came from outside, saying this.

"Aoko."

After the girl, another voice rang out: "Leave it to me."

As Zouken Matou narrowed his eyes at the two figures walking slowly through the billowing dust outside the collapsed door, he knew they were the two foreign magician girls he had spied on earlier that night using 'magic'. He couldn't help but let out a strange, chuckling laugh as he watched them approach menacingly.

"Just because I accidentally peeked at you, you want to attack me?"

"But is it really okay to just barge into a magician's 'workshop' like that?"

...

"Your Majesty, what is this...?"

at the same time.

Across from the Matou family's residence, on the dome of a towering building, Tokiomi Tohsaka, with a gentle evening breeze blowing, stared in astonishment at the suddenly 'breached' Matou family home.

As the other of the three founding families, the Matou family has been settled in Fuyuki City since the Holy Grail War, and has been on good terms with the Tohsaka family, who manage the Fuyuki City ley lines for generations. Tohsaka Tokiomi and the current head of the Matou family, Matou Zouken, are even more so. So it's understandable that he was shocked to see his house door broken down.

In addition to being shocked, she looked at the boy beside her with a mixture of shock and anger.

Lu Kang smiled and said, "You're worried about your daughter, aren't you, Headmaster Tohsaka?"

"Don't worry, your daughter will be fine—you just need to keep watching."

Tokiomi Tohsaka opened his mouth.

But I don't know what to say.

Matou did indeed have a daughter—one of his two exceptionally talented daughters.

As a member of a legitimate family of magicians, Tokiomi Tohsaka was once proud of his daughter’s exceptional talent. However, a family can only have one magic crest to pass down to future generations. One outstanding direct descendant brings joy, but two bring trouble instead.

Because there is no more mystery to offer.

Because their superior talents cannot be fully utilized.

Previously, Tokiomi Tohsaka had encountered such a bittersweet situation.

As a magician, he genuinely didn't want to see his daughter's talent go to waste.

And coincidentally, it happened just six months ago.

While his two daughters were showing exceptional magical talent, the current head of the Matou family, who had been on good terms with the Tohsaka family for generations, somehow heard about this and came to him, hoping to adopt one of Tokiomi's two daughters to continue the Matou family's mystique.

Prior to this, Tokiomi Tohsaka had heard about the Matou family. He had heard that the Matou family's situation was the exact opposite of his own, with their descendants' bloodline declining and having almost no magical talent.

The engraving cannot be inherited.

Faced with this self-resolved dilemma, Tokiomi Tohsaka was overjoyed and how could he possibly refuse?

So he kept his eldest daughter, who was more suitable to inherit the Tohsaka family seal.

The second daughter was given away for adoption.

So at this moment, his daughter was naturally at the Matou family home.

His shock and anger stemmed largely from this.

As for the safety of the Matou family—he didn't really care.

Having received Lu Kang's assurance, Shichen hesitated to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

He knew that Lu Kang had no reason to deceive him.

After all, if they really wanted to deceive me, there would be no need for them to call me back after I had already left.

Their goal, perhaps, really is just Matou Zouken—?

Amidst the roaring sounds, the battle below immediately commenced.

The ground of the Matou residence hummed and vibrated, a surge of magical energy emanating from the depths of the earth, like countless insects buzzing and flapping their wings, creating a dense, captivating sound.

The laughter of an old, hoarse man was mixed in with the sounds of laughter.

Countless 'insects' also crawled out from every crack in the building amidst the sound, covering the entire courtyard.

—Insect magic.

This is a mysterious system originating from the West, which manipulates 'insects' as familiars, and is also the 'marking' magic passed down by the Matou family.

To some extent, Zouken Matou's dwelling, which employs this magic, is also the most densely packed nest of insects.

Here.

The tunnels deep within the insect hive trembled with the surge of magic, and dust cascaded down from the decaying wooden beams of the ancient mansion.

then.

Zouken Matou's hunched figure retreated three steps like a ghost.

He slammed his withered palm to the ground—and countless 'magic insects' imprinted with magic flew up, transforming into a black tide that rushed toward the intruder.

Amidst the buzzing of the insect swarm's wings, the old man's hoarse sneer rang out: "Let this old man see if our two guests from afar... can withstand this 'five hundred years of hospitality'?"

"This is the 'Winged Blade Demon Insect' that can devour even the most mysterious creatures."

Seeing the overwhelming, disgusting swarm of insects, Aoko's pupils constricted. Although she knew that Yuuju was intentionally making a move, she still instinctively began to accumulate magic power, and blue light instantly covered her palm.

But faster than Aoko—Kuonji Yuju had already silently taken half a step.

The girl in the black dress lightly touched the glass bottle hanging on her chest with her fingertips, and a ray of rainbow light flowed around it.

"—'Oil of the Moon,' unfold."