Today was Saturday.
As they had agreed a few days earlier, Shirou accompanied Tiamat on a visit to the children's home.
Just as Shirou watched Tiamat playing with the children and smiled warmly at the sight, his vision suddenly went completely dark.
"Guess who I am?"
"Caren, I can't see anything when you do this."
"Tch... What a boring man."
The silver-haired girl who had quietly crept up behind Shirou finally removed her hands.
The girl dressed in a black nun's habit was named Caren Hortensia.
She was both the administrator of the Fuyuki Church and Shirou's accomplice in covering up all sorts of illegal activities.
Shirou had already told her about the Servant Tiamat a few days ago.
Today, Caren had specifically come to meet the goddess Servant who had manifested in Fuyuki.
The girl sat down in the chair beside Shirou and began observing the Heroic Spirit she was seeing for the first time in her life.
"So that's a Servant... an existence Magi call a Boundary Record Belt (Ghostliner). I thought they'd look much more inhuman."
Resting her chin on one hand, Caren asked, "What Class is that Servant... Tiamat? Archer?"
Shirou replied, "Alterego. It's an Extra Class outside the Seven Classes."
Tiamat was not a goddess Servant who had manifested normally like Quetzalcoatl, because she had been exiled to Imaginary Numbers Space.
In the Seventh Singularity, Tiamat had returned to human history with the Spirit Origin of a Beast.
In this era, however, Tiamat had manifested by creating a duplicate of herself.
That was why she was an Alterego.
"..."
Caren looked as if she wanted to say something, then frowned slightly.
"Forget it. Since she's a Servant you've contracted with, I won't say anything more. Just be careful."
"If this gets exposed, I'll be dragged into it too."
"Yeah, leave it to me." Shirou promised without hesitation.
Caren gave a slight nod, then continued, "Speaking of which, there's been some new movement from the Mage's Association. Someone new will probably be sent to Fuyuki in a few days."
Shirou sighed helplessly after hearing that.
"They really don't know when to quit. Are those people that obsessed with the Holy Grail?"
"This time, it has nothing to do with the Holy Grail."
The silver-haired girl who served as administrator of the Fuyuki Church smiled with doll-like elegance.
"Apparently, the Secret Judgment Division is considering placing you under Sealing Designation as a Magus."
Shirou's eyes widened.
The Secret Judgment Division, Carillon Observatory.
The oldest department within the Mage's Association, one beyond even the authority of the Department of Policies.
It was affiliated with the Clock Tower yet separate from it, with its headquarters located at the very bottom of the "Ancient Heart" region of the Spiritual Tomb of Albion.
From the depths of the Abyss to the distant cosmos, its purpose was to observe the surface world and discover rare and exceptional talents.
At the center of the department stood an enormous bell. Because it rang whenever a Sealing Designation was issued, the department was also known as the Hall of the Bell (Carillon).
Its duty was to preserve Magi capable of displaying talents truly worthy of being passed down, ensuring those talents survived into future generations.
In other words, the authority responsible for issuing Sealing Designations was none other than the administrator of the Secret Judgment Division, Carillon Observatory.
That was the information Shirou would later receive from the little yellow duck, Makiri.
At the moment, Shirou still had no idea what the Secret Judgment Division actually was, but he understood the second half perfectly well.
"Seriously? I'm going to get a Sealing Designation? At this point?"
Shirou had only visited the Clock Tower once, but he knew very well that he was already something of a celebrity there.
The victor of the Far East Holy Grail War.
The publicly declared lover of the First Magician, Alice Kuonji, and the Fifth Magician, Aoko Aozaki. He was also extremely close to the Grand Puppeteer, Touko Aozaki.
To the Magi of the Clock Tower, Shirou Amamiya was someone who demanded close attention.
The question of whether to give him a Sealing Designation had probably been raised more than once or twice already.
For Shirou, a Sealing Designation was something he absolutely had to avoid.
Once he became a wanted man, Shirou would never again be able to live normally or attend school like an ordinary student. He would be forced to live on the run, just like Touko-nee-san.
In the past, Shirou had once declared that if the Clock Tower dared to cause trouble for him, he wouldn't mind wiping that ancient organization off the face of the Earth.
But there was a vast difference between being capable of doing something and being able to do it without causing disastrous consequences.
All Shirou wanted was a peaceful life. He had no desire to turn the era he lived in into a Singularity.
Give me a break, the boy thought.
"Caren... where did you hear about this?"
Shirou asked.
If information like this had leaked, Kayneth and Sola-Ui should have warned him long ago...
How had Caren, someone from the opposing faction, obtained top-secret information that even a Lord of the Clock Tower didn't know?
Caren smiled.
"The fighting inside the Clock Tower is even fiercer than its conflict with the Holy Church."
The Mage's Association and the Holy Church could be considered the two great powers of the modern world.
In terms of overall strength and scale, the Mage's Association surpassed even the Holy Church.
The problem was that the Mage's Association was practically a collection of rival factions pulling in different directions.
Outside the Clock Tower, there were divisions and conflicts with the Atlas Institute and the Wandering Sea.
Within the Clock Tower itself, the twelve Lords were locked in factional struggles among the Aristocratic Factions.
By comparison, although the Holy Church had its own power struggles, things were considerably more stable.
Shirou trusted Caren. She probably wasn't saying this just to frighten him.
The silver-haired nun glanced at the grave look on the boy's face and said, "Don't worry. Your Sealing Designation hasn't officially been issued yet. It's still only being discussed."
"Phew..."
The relieved look on Shirou's face irritated the girl slightly.
"Ah, but looking at it another way, once your Sealing Designation is officially issued, there'll be no room left to negotiate."
Caren smiled sweetly.
"That would mean all-out war♡"
"Shirou and his ultra-luxurious harem versus the Mage's Association. An all-out war. How exciting..."
"After the war is over, will the Earth's surface still be habitable for humanity? Probably not."
Shirou rolled his eyes.
Why do you look so happy about it?
Caren held out an envelope filled with documents.
"What's this?"
"Information on the person who'll be sent to Fuyuki to investigate you next. Photos, personal history, everything. It took me two whole weeks to gather it all."
"Caren... you did all that for me?"
The curly silver-haired nun proudly puffed out her chest, clearly waiting to be praised.
"Thanks, Caren."
Shirou stroked Caren's head as he took the envelope from her, opened it, and began looking through the contents.
The first thing he saw was a photograph of a young woman.
She had short rose-red hair and matching eyes, with a beauty mark beneath her left eye.
She wore a reddish-brown suit and looked sharp and highly capable at first glance.
Overall, she gave the impression of a cool, androgynous beauty dressed in men's clothing. The dangling earrings on both ears were particularly striking.
Name.
Bazett Fraga McRemitz.
Another document recorded the female Magus's entire background in detail.
A Magus from Ireland, she had joined the Mage's Association at the age of fifteen.
Now twenty-one, she worked for the Sealing Designation Enforcement Department and was considered the strongest Sealing Designation Enforcer of her generation.
Bazett's lineage came from an ancient family of Magi known as the Carrier of the Gods (Gods Holder).
The closest equivalent within the Church would be an Executor. She possessed exceptional skill in both Magecraft and hand-to-hand combat, making her a specialist in combat against Magi.
Within the Sealing Designation Enforcement Department, Bazett had always belonged to the combat-oriented, field-operation faction.
The reason they had chosen to send her to Fuyuki for this investigation was probably because Shirou Amamiya's strength was simply too difficult to gauge.
"What do you think?"
Caren asked while leaning against Shirou's shoulder.
"What do you mean?"
Shirou looked up from the documents and found the nun staring at him with the eager expression of a matchmaker introducing a prospective bride.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "...She seems like a seriously troublesome opponent. She's strong."
Shirou suddenly remembered something Natalia had once told him.
There were genuine monsters among the Sealing Designation Enforcers. She must have been talking about someone like Bazett-san.
She might even be capable of fighting a Heroic Spirit head-on... So there really are Magi like that.
Shirou added, "Well, if it comes down to a fight, I won't lose."
"Who asked you about that?"
Caren frowned slightly and tugged irritably at Shirou's cheek.
"Then what were you asking?"
The girl gave him her exquisitely doll-like smile.
There was something faintly dangerous and alluring mixed into it.
"I'm asking what you think of this woman, Bazett."
"Huh?"
A huge question mark practically appeared above Shirou's head.
Caren looked at the photograph in Shirou's hand and slowly began to speak.
"Brave and imposing. No matter how you look at her, she's overflowing with masculinity and isn't cute in the slightest..."
"But beneath that strong and resolute exterior is a troubled, uncertain girl."
"Miss Bazett knows nothing about romance and secretly fantasizes about having a strong man she can depend on."
Shirou frowned.
"...What exactly are you trying to say, Caren?"
The silver-haired nun wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck and leaned close to whisper into his ear.
"Try to win Bazett over, Shirou."
Shirou: "...?"
Caren spoke as if it were the most obvious solution in the world.
"Right now, Bazett has been given full authority by the Sealing Designation Enforcement Department to investigate you."
"If you want her to keep quiet and not tell the Mage's Association anything bad about you, isn't this the best possible method?"
"Mm, exactly! Use Shirou's charm to turn that tomboy Bazett into a submissive woman who hangs on your every word and does everything she can to please you."
"Don't worry. This time you'll have my help, so there's no way we can fail..."
Shirou cut her off.
"Caren, what kind of person do you think I am?"
The silver-haired nun tapped a finger against her chin.
"A harmless, oblivious harem guy. But that's only a disguise."
"In reality, you're a depraved harem guy who secretly uses Hypnotic Magecraft on every woman around him, dyeing both their minds and bodies in his own colors."
"I've never done anything like that!"
"...Ow."
Even after taking a chop to the head from Shirou, Caren seemed completely unaffected. Bursting with enthusiasm, she immediately began planning her operation to conquer Bazett.
"Stop doing stupid things."
"What do you mean, stupid? Who do you think I'm doing this for?"
Caren declared with absolute confidence, "...Shirou, do you really want to give up the life you have now?"
"Of course I don't."
Shirou had no intention of receiving a Sealing Designation. That was the one outcome he absolutely had to avoid.
"Then behave yourself and follow my instructions. Go win Bazett over!!"
Shirou looked at Caren's angelically adorable face and thought that even Aphrodite and Cupid from Greek mythology probably weren't much different.
...
"..."
This was Bazett's first time setting foot on the soil of an island nation in the East.
Her destination was a city called Fuyuki.
According to the Mage's Association's records, it was a place where Leylines converged and where magical rituals had been conducted many times throughout history.
The 726th Holy Grail. Whether it was genuine remained uncertain.
The Holy Grail War, the ritual fought over that Grail, had been permanently discontinued eight years ago.
Bazett's purpose in coming here was to investigate a certain Magus who had once taken part in that ritual.
Shirou Amamiya.
Sixteen years old, currently attending a local high school in Fuyuki.
Eight years ago.
At only eight years old, he had emerged victorious from the final Holy Grail War.
The Holy Grail War was exactly what its name suggested, a deadly conflict between Magi.
Every Magus permitted to participate was among the elite of the elite.
The previous Holy Grail War had even included Lord El-Melloi, the famous prodigy of the Clock Tower.
Even so, the final victor had been a mere eight-year-old child.
Of course, the Holy Grail War was fought through cooperation between Magi and their familiars.
Perhaps Shirou Amamiya had simply been lucky enough to obtain the strongest familiar.
Furthermore, while Lord El-Melloi's accomplishments in Magecraft were beyond question, he had never specialized in direct combat.
Even so, none of that changed the fact that an eight-year-old child had defeated every other Magus and familiar and claimed victory in the end.
His strength had to be genuine.
The question was whether that strength was "abnormal."
The Mage's Association was interested only in things that were "abnormal" and "irreproducible."
If Shirou Amamiya's talent as a Magus fell outside the normal range, then it would be necessary to take him into custody.
Bazett had received her orders from the Sealing Designation Enforcement Department.
Her mission was to investigate Shirou Amamiya.
Although Shirou Amamiya was an independent Magus without territory of his own, that did not mean he lacked allies in the world of Magecraft.
Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern.
The Three Founding Families of Fuyuki, once enemies, had now become Shirou Amamiya's most loyal allies.
The First Magician, Alice Kuonji, and the Fifth Magician, Aoko Aozaki, both publicly claimed him as their lover.
The Grand Puppeteer, Touko Aozaki, was also extremely close to him.
Beyond that, both the Lord of the Department of Mineralogy, Kischur, and the Lord of the Department of Spiritual Evocation, Eulyphis, maintained close ties with Shirou Amamiya.
The prestigious Edelfelt family of Finland.
The renowned alchemical house of Musik.
The famous Lehrman family of the Mystic Eyes.
And many others.
Shirou's network of connections was astonishing.
As the absolute authority of the world of Magecraft, the Mage's Association would never compromise with any faction or individual!
But...
This particular target was simply too troublesome.
Shirou Amamiya was a hot potato. Who would willingly risk themselves by provoking someone like him?
Yet leaving him alone would damage the Association's authority.
No one wanted to be the first person to stick their neck out.
And so, the young woman named Bazett was chosen.
Representing the prestige and trust of the Association, she set foot in the Far East.
"We're counting on you, Bazett Fraga McRemitz."
"Gather detailed information on Shirou Amamiya and uncover the true nature of his Magecraft... This is a mission only you can accomplish."
The Association's Magi watched the young woman depart with sinister smiles.
Just as they had said, whenever there was a mission, or rather, a problem, that no one else wanted to touch, Bazett was always the one who could be relied upon to handle it.
Bazett was exceptionally capable and worked harder than anyone, yet that was precisely why she had no place within the Association.
She came from the Irish countryside, and her family had severed its ties with the Association centuries ago.
Without the protection of a family faction and with no talent whatsoever for political maneuvering, she was naturally shunned by London's aristocrats.
Although Bazett sensed the ostracism and hostility surrounding her, she still volunteered to complete every troublesome assignment others pushed onto her.
Naively, she believed that the more missions she completed, the more recognition she would earn from those around her, dreaming that one day she would finally rise through the ranks.
And now, in the distant Far East, she was about to encounter her destiny...
***
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