Located more than thirty kilometers west of the city center of Fuyuki City is an area characterized by a national highway that runs through the mountainous region, far away from human settlements. On both sides of the highway, there is a dense and verdant forest that seems to have been forgotten amidst the wave of residential development that swept through the area.
This area is shrouded in many mysteries. At first glance, one might mistake it for state-owned land, but in reality, it belongs to a privately owned foreign company whose existence is uncertain. If one were to diligently collect information about this land, one would initially come across some strange urban legends.
According to legend, deep within this lush forest, there is a "Dreamland Castle."
Of course, this is nothing more than a boring ghost story.
While the forest remains undeveloped, it is not far from Fuyuki City and can be reached by car in about an hour. If there were such a peculiar castle, it would surely cause a sensation. There have been several attempts in the past to survey the land in this primitive forest, but no traces of man-made structures have ever been found.
However, every few years, someone brings up this legend again.
Before children embark on adventures with half-hearted excitement or lost hikers, a magnificent stone castle suddenly appears in dense fog. According to the legend, this castle is an incredibly mysterious mansion that appears completely uninhabited, like a ruin, yet it is impeccably clean, not at all like an abandoned place.
No one takes this legend seriously. At best, it is merely published on a page of some third-rate magazine's summer-themed supernatural special when they have nothing else to write about.
Only a very small number of magi know that this castle truly exists.
Every sixty years, it welcomes a new master and becomes the "Magical Castle," serving as a stronghold during times of war.
The castle is heavily guarded by illusions and magical barriers, making it an extradimensional space that is virtually impossible to be discovered by the outside world, except under rare circumstances. Those who know the true origin of the castle refer to the deep forest surrounding it as the "Einzbern Forest."
At that time, the Holy Grail War was taking place in Fuyuki City. The head of the Einzbern family, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, did not want to establish a base on the territory directly controlled by their arch-rivals, the Tohsaka family. Therefore, he used his wealth to purchase the nearest spiritual vein, turning it into the Einzbern family's stronghold. This happened on the eve of the Third Holy Grail War, a period of great tension just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
It is said that he used the entire vast primitive forest as the boundary, isolating it from the outside world, and converted a secondary castle from the Einzbern estate to be located there. This demonstrates the astonishing financial resources and deep commitment of their family. Ironically, it was the Tohsaka family that worked tirelessly as intermediaries for land purchase and carried out covert operations in the area.
The isolation effect of the boundary is unquestionable. Without Scáthach tracking Irisviel's general range and direction, it would have been difficult for Justeaze to find the exact location of the forest, even if she had stayed in Fuyuki City for several more years.
In addition to isolation, the boundary also has a warning function. Once someone enters the boundary, the person controlling the boundary becomes aware of it. However, because the foundation of the boundary lies in the magecraft and alchemy of the Einzberns, Justeaze took some time to find a way to bypass the warning mechanism. She managed to infiltrate the castle without alerting anyone.
Both the interior and exterior of the castle were meticulously cleaned, with the entrance hall, main hall, and corridors adorned with vibrant flowers, making it hard to believe that no one had lived there for sixty years.
In the meeting room of the castle, Justeaze sighed repeatedly upon seeing her doppelgänger.
A long rectangular table occupied most of the room, with Irisviel and Emiya Kiritsugu sitting on opposite long sides. Saber and Marya stood behind each of them, motionless and silent as statues. The silent atmosphere in the room grew increasingly oppressive.
A map of Fuyuki City lay on the table, and beside it were neatly arranged files containing information on various Masters and Servants. One of the files was held in Irisviel's hand, which was likely the reason for her sighs.
"Kirei Kotomine."
Yes, this was the information gathered by Emiya Kiritsugu about the Executor who attacked Maya last night with utmost speed.
"The son of Supervisor Kirei Kotomine, the disciple of Tokiomi Tohsaka."
"Born in 1967, he accompanied his father, Risei Kotomine, on pilgrimages to holy sites since childhood. In '81, he graduated from the St. Ignatius Theological Academy in Marseille, skipping two grades and even ranking first. He truly is an impressive individual."
Kiritsugu nodded with displeasure at the assessment of his wife.
"If he continues like this, he is likely to become a Cardinal. But he suddenly gave up the opportunity to stand out and voluntarily entered the Holy Church. Why would he sabotage his future and choose to join the internal organization of the Church when there are better and more options available?"
Although the Holy Church carried the name of the Church, it was only a part of the entire Vatican, a secret organization within the Church dedicated to achieving special purposes.
"Is it because of his father's influence? Both he and his father belong to the Eighth Sacrament of the Holy Church."
The relics that possess sanctity, such as the remains and blood of saints, the nails from the crucifixion of Jesus, and the 30 pieces of silver obtained by Judas, are called Holy Relics. The covert organization that exists to recover and manage the scattered Holy Relics around the world is the "Eighth Sacrament."
Upon hearing Irisviel's opinion, Kiritsugu shook his head.
"If that were the case, he would have joined the Eighth Sacrament from the beginning. However, before joining the same department as his father, he went through three transfers and was even appointed as an Executor. He was only in his teens at that time. This job cannot be done without considerable determination and resilience. It is the bloodiest department of the Holy Church, responsible for the extermination of heretics. It can be said to be the nest of slaughter and demons. Being bestowed the title of 'Executor' means he has undergone brutal training as a human weapon and is a first-class killer."
From this perspective, Kirei Kotomine and Emiya Kiritsugu were quite similar. Kiritsugu, in his previous role, was a magus killer, an "Executor" on the side of the Mage's Association.
"Perhaps he is an obsessed believer. There are examples of young people being overly superstitious due to their pure faith and naive thoughts."
Kiritsugu shook his head for the third time in response to Irisviel's remark.
"I don't think so. If that were the case, his record over the past three years would be inexplicable. If his faith were pure, he wouldn't have joined the Mage's Association. Even if he is more loyal to the organization relative to the doctrine and follows the Church's orders, his attitude towards magecraft is too serious."
Irisviel continued reading the information and came across a summary of Kirei Kotomine's abilities—it mentioned his accomplishments in alchemy, spirit manipulation, summoning, divination, and healing magecraft, surpassing even his mentor, Tokiomi Tohsaka.
"This Kirei Kotomine is indeed a bit strange, but is he worth your attention? Although he seems to be talented in many areas, he doesn't possess any exceptional skills."
"And it's precisely this point that makes me increasingly concerned."
Kiritsugu patiently explained to Irisviel, who couldn't understand.
"He delves into each type of magecraft to a level just one step away from mastery and then immediately abandons it without any attachment to pursue another kind. He treats his painstakingly acquired knowledge as garbage."
"He has chosen a much more intense way of life than others, yet there is no sense of 'passion' in his life..."
"This man is dangerous."
Kiritsugu reached this conclusion, and after a moment, he added.
"A terrifying individual, more terrifying than the Tohsakas and the Einzberns."
Seeing her husband's solemn expression, Irisviel instinctively clutched her clothes, and Maya's gaze became increasingly dangerous.
This terrifying man has set his sights on the most important man in their lives.