Miyako City Shinkansen Station.
As the Shinkansen arrived, Rin led Sakura off the train. Rin carefully protected Sakura by her side, holding her hand tightly while discreetly activating reinforcement magic to push through the surging crowd. At the same time, she looked back and shouted to Kirei Kotomine, who was carrying the luggage behind them,
"Kirei, keep up."
It was now noon. Rin, Sakura, and Kirei Kotomine, having just finished a quick lunch at a random shop, were walking along the streets of Miyako City.
"Kirei, how on earth could you eat Mapo Tofu that spicy?"
Kirei Kotomine, following Rin and Sakura with the luggage, looked at Rin's back in confusion.
"Rin, is there a problem? That has always been my favorite food. However, the taste here is very average. Rin, when we return to Fuyuki City, I'll take you to the Red State Banquet Pavilion · Taishan. The Mapo Tofu at that shop is the most authentic."
Rin rolled her eyes at Kirei Kotomine in silence, then stopped and looked at an unfinished building by the roadside.
"We're here. Kirei, I'll count on you to be on guard later. This person is a bit difficult to deal with."
After speaking, Rin took Sakura's hand and walked into the abandoned, unfinished building.
Kirei Kotomine's gaze swept the surrounding streets, and then he followed Rin and Sakura into the building. Once inside, he casually placed the luggage in a room before quickly catching up with them.
Touko Aozaki, who was lying on the sofa in her office drinking, suddenly sensed three strangers entering Garan no Dou. Touko warily put down her can, walked to her desk, sat down, and stared intently at the door.
A moment later, a knock came from outside the office, and then two young girls led an adult man into Touko's office.
After Rin entered the office, she politely bowed to Touko and then began the introductions.
"Hello, I am the future head of the Tohsaka Family. I have come today with my younger sister, Tohsaka Sakura, and my senior brother, Kirei Kotomine."
The name Tohsaka Rin had long been spreading like wildfire throughout the Magus world. Touko hadn't expected the person who would rashly barge into her workshop, Garan no Dou, to be this 'famous' little girl. She stared at Tohsaka Rin with some curiosity and asked,
"Miss Tohsaka Rin, what do you intend to do by barging into my workshop?"
"Well, I can call you Touko, right? Of course, you can call me Rin. I heard that you've been, well, a bit short on cash lately. I hope to reach a commission agreement with you."
Hearing Rin's words, Touko took her hand off the Magic Circle hidden under the table, stood up, walked to the sofa, and sat down casually. She then turned to Rin, Sakura, and Kirei and said,
"Come and sit down. What do you want to commission me for?"
Rin held Sakura's hand and led Kirei to the sofa opposite Touko Aozaki. Once they were settled, she spoke.
"Alice Kuonji—you know her, right, Touko? I want my sister to become Alice Kuonji's disciple, so I want to commission you to take us to her and protect us at the same time."
"Alice!" Hearing this name, Touko seemed to fall into a memory and didn't speak for a long time. Seeing Touko lost in thought, Rin didn't speak either, but waited silently on the sofa for Touko's answer.
Emerging from her memories, Touko pushed up her glasses, hiding her gaze behind the reflection of the light, and asked Rin,
"Where did you learn about Alice?"
"From you!"
Touko looked at Rin, who had firmly stated she knew about Alice through her, and then asked,
"Me? You mean you learned about Alice through me?"
"Yes! Although not many people know about your deeds back then, the Tohsaka Family, having operated in Japan for many years, can still obtain a lot of intelligence. For example, about Alice Kuonji, and how it seemed there was a Phantasmal Species by your side back then."
Hearing Rin's words, although Touko was still somewhat puzzled, she didn't dwell on it.
"Well then, the reward?"
Rin first took a bag of gems from the bag she was carrying and threw it to Touko. Then, she held the Age of Gods Rune Stone that Gilgamesh had given her and extended it toward Touko, opening her palm to show it to her.
"This bag of gems is the deposit; it should be worth about 5 million US dollars. And this Age of Gods Rune, I will also give it to you after the matter is successful. How about it?"
Touko looked at the Rune stone, then poured the gems from the bag into her hand, played with them for a while, and then put them back.
"Rin, you should understand your own worth. If I were to..."
Before she could finish, a Magic Circle appeared on the wall of the room.
"...capture you, I think I could get everything."
Rin looked at Touko with a calm expression, then stopped Sakura and Kirei from preparing to counterattack.
"Are you dissatisfied with the reward? Then you name the price."
Touko looked at the calm Rin before her, stretched lazily, and then said with a smile,
"I've been seen through. Little girl, aren't you worried at all? Fine, I've long heard the rumors in the Magus world about your talent, and all sorts of genius titles have been placed on your head. Then, try this."
Touko then pulled a piece of parchment covered in magic ciphers from her bosom and handed it to Rin.
"Take a look. If you can provide help for my research, then I will accept your commission, but you must give me the Rune as well."
Rin didn't say anything; she took the paper Touko handed over and lowered her head to browse through it.
Watching Rin in thought, Touko stood up, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, went to the window, lit one, and looked outside.
Just as the cigarette was about to finish burning, Rin finished her reading and looked up at Touko in surprise.
"Touko, you actually want to manufacture Servant-level puppets?"
"You saw it? It seems you really are a genius as the rumors say. So, do you have a solution?"
"No. This design of yours has problems from the start. If you just intended to manufacture a puppet with physical strength similar to a Servant, that would be no problem; as long as the materials are suitable, I think your technology wouldn't be hard to implement. However, if you want to manufacture a puppet that is on par with a Servant in all aspects, then the problem is huge. You're practically trying to create a Servant body with a blank spirit origin."
Touko casually stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and then pointed at Rin.
"That problem depends on you. Is there anyone who knows more about Servants than someone born into the family that created the Holy Grail ritual?"
Rin picked up the paper and looked at it again, scratching her head in frustration. 'Ah, why is it such a troublesome condition? Man-made Servants, how could that be possible?'
"Sorry, I can't do this."
"You can't do it either? It seems my idea of using a group of Servants to teach my sister a lesson won't be realized. Then, please leave."
Seeing Touko starting to usher them out, Rin thought,'So she just wanted to obtain Servants as combat power? If that's the case, holding a Pseudo-Holy Grail ritual should solve it.' Thinking of this, she quickly said to Touko,
"If you just want to use Servants to deal with the Fifth Magus, I have a way. The Holy Grail ritual—I can give you the data for the Holy Grail ritual and am willing to research a ritual for summoning a single Servant with you."
Touko looked at Rin, thought for a moment, and then reached out her left hand to shake Rin's right hand.
"Deal!"
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