Emiya Kiritsugu's breathing suddenly hitched!
Illya—the daughter he wanted to see after the Holy Grail War at any cost—was his absolute weak spot!
"What do you want?"
Kiritsugu's voice was hoarse and dry. He gave up unnecessary resistance, but the hand gripping the gun remained tense.
"Relax, Mr. Emiya."
Long Night Moon did not move the tip of her umbrella. Her voice even carried a faint hint of amusement. "I am not your enemy, at least not right now. I am merely slightly troubled by your recent... rather large-scale 'greeting.' You destroyed my temporary lodging and frightened the two children under my care. As a reasonable person, I believe you have a responsibility to provide corresponding... 'compensation.'"
"...Compensation?"
"Yes. For example, a new residence that is safe, comfortable, and won't be randomly blown up."
Long Night Moon said matter-of-factly, applying a slight pressure with the umbrella tip. "The forest castle I 'saw' is quite good. It's quiet, spacious, has complete defensive facilities, and... since your very important family is there, I assume you won't easily blow it up again, right?"
Kiritsugu's heart sank.
Not only did the opponent know about Illya, but she also pinpointed the Einzbern Castle!
This meant that most of his trump cards had been exposed.
"The castle has a Barrier. Outsiders are not welcome."
He attempted a final struggle.
"That is precisely the 'safety' I require."
Long Night Moon chuckled. "Lead the way, Mr. Emiya. Or, do you wish for me to use some method right now to ask the 'Mistress' and the 'king of knights' in the castle if they approve of your 'tactic' tonight, which might have buried hundreds of innocent lives?"
Kiritsugu fell silent.
He knew that the opponent had grasped his biggest leverage and weakness.
Saber and Irisviel would never agree with his methods. If this matter were made public, their alliance would immediately fall apart.
More importantly, Illya... He slowly lowered the arm holding the gun, holstering the weapon, and said exhaustedly, "...I'll take you there."
Deep in the forest outside Fuyuki City, the Einzbern Castle stood under the moonlight like an exquisite white phantom.
When Emiya Kiritsugu led Long Night Moon and the others to the edge of the castle Barrier, the alarm-like Magical Fluctuations had already alerted those inside.
With a flash of golden light, Artoria stood before the castle gate, wielding her Invisible Sword.
Her emerald eyes were sharp as an eagle's. She first vigilantly scanned the unfamiliar Long Night Moon and her group, finally settling on the grim-faced Kiritsugu.
"Kiritsugu! What is going on? Who are they?"
Saber's voice was accusatory.
She sensed the coercion on Kiritsugu and the unfathomable aura emanating from the mysterious woman holding the black umbrella.
"Saber, step down."
Kiritsugu's voice was low, filled with suppressed helplessness. "...They are guests."
"Guests?"
Saber frowned deeply. Her Knight's intuition prevented her from relaxing. "Were you coerced?"
"Oh dear, don't be so tense, Miss king of knights."
Long Night Moon actively stepped half a pace forward. The tip of the umbrella had long since left Kiritsugu's back. She wore an impeccable smile. "We are indeed here as guests, though the method of invitation was... slightly unconventional."
She gestured behind her. "Mainly for these two children. They need a safe and warm place to rest. As you can see, it's late, and they've been frightened."
March 7th cooperatively held up the sleeping Tohsaka Rin in her arms, showing an expression that said, "Look how cute and pitiful the child is."
Sakura Matou timidly peeked her small head out from behind March 7th, her purple-indigo eyes filled with unease.
The tip of Saber's sword lowered slightly.
Protecting women and children was a Knight's instinct, and the two little girls in front of her certainly looked like they needed help.
Just then, Irisviel also rushed out of the castle, her silver hair flowing with a soft luster under the moonlight.
"Saber, Kiritsugu, what happened..."
Her words stopped when she saw Long Night Moon and her group, her ruby-like eyes filled with confusion.
Long Night Moon repeated her explanation to Saber more gently, cleverly omitting the specific details of Kiritsugu blowing up the hotel, only emphasizing that "some actions taken by Mr. Emiya resulted in us losing our lodging and placing these two children in danger."
"As compensation, and also for the children's safety, we hope to stay here for a few days."
Long Night Moon displayed the three bright red command spellss on the back of her hand—the clear mark of a master. "I guarantee, as the master of Berserker, that we have no intention of actively opposing you. In fact, in dealing with certain shared threats that are... 'unscrupulous' and 'endanger public safety,' we might even have room for cooperation."
She glanced meaningfully at Kiritsugu.
Irisviel looked at Kiritsugu, whose face clearly read "unwilling but helpless," then at Saber, and finally her gaze rested upon Rin in March 7th's arms and the well-behaved Sakura. Maternal softness ultimately won out.
She didn't fully trust Long Night Moon, but given the current situation, refusal might lead to worse conflict, while acceptance would at least place this mysterious master-Servant pair under surveillance.
"...I understand."
Irisviel sighed softly. "There are spare rooms in the castle. We can offer temporary refuge during the Holy Grail War, but please abide by the rules here, and our alliance relationship needs to be further clarified."
"Thank you very much for your generosity, Madam Irisviel."
Long Night Moon gave an elegant bow. "Rest assured, we are guests who understand the rules. Now then, pardon the intrusion."
Finally, under a subtle and fragile balance, Long Night Moon and her group were settled in a suite of guest rooms in the castle's west wing.
The rooms were spacious and luxurious, reflecting the heritage of an ancient family, far more comfortable than a hotel suite.
March 7th carefully placed Tohsaka Rin on the large bed covered with a soft down comforter, happily bouncing on the soft carpet. "Wow! This place is great! Much bigger than the hotel room! And there's a fireplace!"
Sakura Matou also relaxed slightly, curiously examining the luxurious interior decorations.
Long Night Moon walked to the window, looking at the tranquil forest under the moonlight outside and the silhouette of the castle's main tower in the distance, a satisfied curve appearing on the corner of her mouth.
"Mhm, this place is indeed nice."
She murmured to herself, "At least... I don't have to worry about the ceiling falling down for now."
In the shadows on the other side of the castle, Emiya Kiritsugu lit who knows how many cigarettes he'd had that night, silently gazing at the lit windows of the west wing, his gaze deep and inscrutable.
In his headset, the calm reporting voice of Maiya Hisau sounded: "In position. Continuous surveillance can begin."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"