Lancer had been defeated, taking down the first group of enemies.
Even after a night of constant combat, Shiomi was in high spirits from the victory. He felt no fatigue at all.
When he returned home, dawn had just broken. Yet it felt as if it had been ages since he'd last been there, and he immediately got to work preparing breakfast for the family.
"You're already busy with daytime chores without even resting?" Morgan leaned against the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, watching him work. "Lancer's defeat will probably be reported by the Holy Church soon."
The Holy Church possessed Spirit Boards that monitored the Holy Grail War, used specifically to detect when Servants were defeated.
"I know. But the war has to go on—and so does life." Shiomi grilled blue mackerel in the oven. "Sakura and Caren won't be able to go to school for the next few days. I'll call in for them—say there's a family emergency."
Even without being told, Morgan understood. She didn't argue with his attitude, simply continued the topic of the Holy Grail War.
"There are two other things you probably haven't noticed," she said with a confident smile.
"What things?" Shiomi asked, listening attentively.
"First, the man you rescued is the true Master contracted with Artoria. That Homunculus is just the nominal Master."
"I know. The Command Spells on Kiritsugu Emiya's hand already gave that away," Shiomi replied. "After all, he went to the Einzbern family nine years ago. This is just a tactic to conceal the true Master."
"Second," Morgan said, "the Homunculus from the Einzbern family is the Lesser Holy Grail for this Holy Grail War. That's why she was the first to react when Lancer was defeated."
Shiomi blinked. "So they gave the Lesser Holy Grail a human form..."
He had reviewed the records of previous Holy Grail Wars and found no such precedent. Most likely, the Einzberns had learned from past failures and decided to change their strategy.
"Well, considering the Fuyuki Holy Grail was built by the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families, it's not surprising the founders would retain certain privileges." Shiomi didn't dwell on the deeper implications.
For example, what fate awaited a Homunculus who served as the vessel for the Grail as the war progressed?
That wasn't something he could influence. And besides, she had her own will. She didn't need anyone's misplaced sympathy.
"Besides, Caster failed in his assault last night. That Servant clearly isn't the type to charge in blindly." Shiomi flipped the mackerel over to grill the other side. "We need to move quickly—before there are more victims."
"At this point, aside from Assassin still working from the shadows, only four groups are capable of acting," Morgan said. "As for the Command Spells gained after the battle, they're not worth worrying about."
She paused, then looked at Shiomi. "By the way, did the Master of that Assassin you drove off escape too?"
"No. He was probably rescued by his own Servant." Shiomi shook his head.
After seeing Maiya Hisau emerge, he had gone after Kirei, but by the time he arrived, only signs of Kirei's impact with the ground remained.
He had only lost an arm—something that could be healed with Magecraft. And given the training Executors endured, he'd probably already be back on his feet and ready to fight again by tomorrow.
Originally, Shiomi had hoped to neutralize Kirei completely, taking him out of the Holy Grail War.
After all, if he ended up having to kill Kirei during the war, he'd need time afterward to recover emotionally—so he could keep caring for Caren without baggage.
Now it seemed that wouldn't be possible.
Still, last night had been a success. Not only had they dealt with the Lancer faction, they'd also managed to rescue a boy from Caster—who Shiomi quietly left at the police station on the way home.
Thinking about this, Shiomi placed the crisped blue mackerel onto plates and brought the food to the table.
Another morning began as usual in the Shiomi household.
Sakura and Caren, ever diligent, got up on their own as always. Thanks to the Magecraft cast over them the night before, they had slept especially well.
They woke up refreshed, full of energy.
"Not going to school today either?"
Sakura looked surprised as she asked.
"It's a bit inconvenient right now. I feel better having you both stay close," Shiomi apologized to the two of them. "As a little compensation... how about I take you to the amusement park today?"
Sakura's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? That's great!"
"You haven't slept all night. Are you sure you're not going to drive the whole family into the Mion River and feed us to the fish?" Caren remarked coolly, pointing out the obvious concern.
Shiomi froze. "How did you know?"
"Your face gives it away." Caren blinked innocently.
That sent Shiomi rushing to the bathroom, where he stared into the mirror, checking his face again and again.
He knew full well that pulling an all-nighter wasn't healthy. But given the circumstances, he had used Magecraft on himself after returning home to make up for the lack of sleep.
It was just a stopgap measure. If he relied on it too often, he might end up looking like some kind of ethereal spirit—maybe even find himself drifting back to the Land of Shadows one day.
If that happened, his master would definitely have a good laugh at his expense. Shiomi splashed his face with water.
His complexion looked perfectly fine—rosy even, full of energy.
"Nothing's wrong. Don't go scaring people," he muttered, grumbling at Caren.
Caren blinked again. "I was just guessing, but... wow, I was right."
"You really don't have to push yourself, Dad," Sakura said gently, her excitement now turning to worry. She looked like she might turn down the outing.
Shiomi cleared his throat. "It's fine. If I say I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Exactly. Don't worry. If something does go wrong, I won't mind stepping in to save everyone," Morgan said smoothly.
Caren nodded. "In that case, there's nothing to worry about."
"If Mother's coming too..." Sakura nodded eagerly.
Shiomi's mouth twitched, and he gave a dry laugh.
He wanted to ask Morgan what secret technique she had used to get Sakura and Caren on her side in just two days.
But neither of them showed any signs of Magecraft interference, so he had to swallow his baseless suspicion and mutter,
"You two... can't you just hope for something a little more cheerful?"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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