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*****
"Perfect! Without a doubt, I summoned the strongest swordsman!"
Feeling that her summoning had been executed flawlessly, Tohsaka Rin ran excitedly toward the heroic spirit who had landed on the first floor.
"Duplicate in pairs."
As Rin left, George cast a duplication spell, replicating every book hidden within the basement, before heading upstairs as well.
On the first-floor sofa now sat a white-haired young man dressed in red.
Rin was in the middle of confirming his identity.
However, because she had miscalculated the summoning time, Rin had not summoned her desired swordsman. Instead, she had drawn the one who remained—an archer.
Through their conversation, George gathered more information. For example, this summoning ritual could call forth a spirit fragment from something called the "Throne of Heroes" to aid the summoner in battle. These heroic spirits were typically legendary figures from history—heroes, even demigods. Some might even originate from the future.
Yet these summoned beings, also known as Servants, were not entirely bound to their Masters. The Master could only command them by invoking the Command Spells that appeared on their right hand, and each Master could only use three such absolute orders. Still, most Servants would not act against their Master's wishes, since they too desired victory in the Holy Grail War.
And what was the Holy Grail War?
Their talk did not elaborate. All that was mentioned was that seven participants would take part, with the entire magical world and the Church closely watching.
"Best to return to those magic books. They should contain more detailed records."
Once Rin had finished discussing with her Servant and gone off to wash up and rest, George recalled his thought-projection.
At the same time, another projection shadowing Matou Sakura had also gained much insight.
The Matou Household
"A wealthy family as well."
The Matou residence was no smaller than Rin's grand home. One was a modern villa, the other a traditional estate.
"Another old magical lineage."
Following Sakura into the house, George quickly discovered a formidable mage—the current head of the Matou family, Matou Zouken.
He was Sakura and Shinji's grandfather.
Of course, calling him "formidable" was only in comparison to ordinary magi. Against George, there was no comparison at all. Thus far, George had not encountered any mage truly exceeding the bounds of the norm.
The only exception worthy of his attention was the magical artifact within Shirou Emiya—an item imbued with power at the level of fundamental laws. Sakura also possessed a not-insignificant magical artifact within her body.
"Hmm… this old man's body…"
Sweeping his spiritual sense over Zouken, George discovered that the man's physical form was no longer human at all. It was constructed from countless magical insects.
He had even detected such parasites within Sakura's body earlier.
"Seems this is the unique magecraft of the Matou line."
Pressure and Resistance
"Have you discovered anything?"
Leaning on his cane, Zouken questioned Sakura.
Sakura silently shook her head.
"No."
"Then go. Continue your surveillance. If you discover any ties to the Einzbern family, report to me immediately."
Zouken's expression was cold as he dismissed her with a wave.
Sakura exhaled in relief, but did not leave right away.
The days spent under her grandfather's orders—spending time near Shirou—had been the happiest of her life, able to live beside the boy she secretly adored.
But she knew this dream could not last. Even if her heart yearned, she dared not hope for an outcome.
Besides, she was no longer pure.
"Grandfather, I don't want to participate in the Holy Grail War. I don't want to hurt others."
"She cannot, but I can! Let me fight in the Holy Grail War, Grandfather. I can win the Grail for you!"
From the other side of the room, Matou Shinji burst forward, eager to volunteer.
As the eldest grandson of the family who had not inherited any magical circuits, he could never become a mage. This was his greatest humiliation. Meanwhile, the adopted granddaughter had inherited the Matou techniques, possessed immense talent, and even held the right to summon a Servant to fight in the war.
His jealousy nearly drove him insane.
Whenever his temper flared, he would vent his rage on Sakura, striking her to remind her who was the rightful heir. Sometimes, he went even further, asserting his dominance over her physically, feeding his twisted sense of pride.
The Transfer of a Servant
"Very well. Then Sakura, use the Book of the False Attendant to temporarily transfer control of your Servant."
Zouken, unexpectedly, did not refuse. He nodded with an emotionless face.
Both Shinji and Sakura were stunned with delight. They had never expected their grandfather to agree.
"Master becomes servant, the servant bound by command—"
Sakura cast the spell, gathering her mana into a tome engraved with magical runes. She imprinted her Command Seals upon its cover.
At that instant, a Servant appeared behind Shinji: a purple-haired woman holding a chain-linked dagger.
She wore a black leather outfit, her violet hair flowing past her knees as if alive. Her figure was mature and voluptuous, her presence brimming with allure and danger.
"Medusa… please get along well with my brother," Sakura whispered gently, covering her wounded hand with her sleeve.
Medusa glanced at Shinji with cold indifference.
The power of a Servant was not only their own but also drawn from their Master's mana. With Sakura's immense magical reserves, Medusa could wield the majority of her true strength.
But Shinji was an ordinary human with no mana whatsoever. Under him, she could not muster even a fraction of her original might.
Moreover, Sakura's tragic past mirrored Medusa's own, making her care for the girl. Shinji only filled her with disgust.
"Hahaha! I finally became a Master! Good, Sakura, very good. From today onward, I'll treat you a little better."
Shinji clutched the Book of the False Attendant, his face lit with arrogance and joy.
Watching in the Shadows
"So, Sakura is one of them too," George mused in the dark, having observed the entire transfer ritual.
"Medusa… could she truly be that Medusa? The serpent-haired monster with petrifying eyes from myth?"
Yet even if she was, George considered her insignificant.
If he unleashed his full power, not even Odin or Zeus could stand against him.
Still, the ritual intrigued him greatly. The fact that even mythological beings could be summoned as Servants gave the Holy Grail War undeniable research value.
Another Library, Another Secret
"As expected, this house also has a rich collection."
After Sakura had fallen asleep, George slipped into the Matou library. The collection was no less than, perhaps even greater than, that of the Tohsaka family.
He copied every volume in an instant.
Over the coming days, he planned to read through both families' libraries thoroughly. He believed that once he did, he would have grasped the essence of this world.
(End of Chapter)