After lunch, Sakura eagerly took over—or rather, snatched away—the task of washing the dishes from Shinji.
Rin wanted to help but was politely refused by Sakura, citing that she was a guest.
In the living room, Shinji stood by the cabinet, searching for tea leaves. He turned to Rin, who was sitting on the sofa, looking more at ease than when she first arrived.
"Is green tea okay? It seems we're out of red tea."
"Ah, that's fine."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, Rin politely thanked Shinji as she took the green tea he handed her. After taking a few sips, she placed the cup on the table in front of her.
"Are you leaving already?" Shinji casually asked, sipping his tea while looking at his laptop. "Aren't you going to let Sakura show you her room or something?"
"No need," Rin shook her head and stood up. "Although it's my first time visiting the place where Sakura grew up, it's much nicer than I imagined, especially considering a certain brother."
"Is that a jab?"
"No, it's a compliment."
"Tch!" Shinji clicked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively. "If you're leaving, then hurry up and disappear."
"Anyway, thanks for the lunch. I'll repay you sometime."
"No need. I wouldn't give you a chance to poison me."
"What kind of person do you think I am?" Rin was speechless.
Shinji answered bluntly, "Like one of those evil witches in a dark castle who studies dark magic and potions, like in Tom and Jerry."
"You just want to argue! Who are you calling an evil witch? And I said, stop smiling at me!!"
"Huh? Smiling?" Shinji was puzzled. "I'm not smiling."
"No, nothing, just misspoke."
Rin turned her face away. Actually, the "stop smiling" comment was directed at Archer.
Creak—
As the door opened, Sakura walked in and saw Rin, who looked like she was about to leave.
"Sis... Are you leaving?"
Though still a bit unfamiliar, after spending the morning together, Sakura could now call her "sister" smoothly.
Rin walked over, affectionately patting Sakura's hair like an older sister, and smiled. "Yes, I'm glad to see you're growing up healthy. After I finish my current tasks, we'll have plenty of time. Let's leave it at that for today."
"Sis..." Sakura blushed slightly, whispering softly, her eyes trembling.
Shinji spoke nonchalantly, "Sakura, don't bother pretending to ask someone who comes empty-handed to stay."
"Brother! I'm not pretending!"
"Just kidding, just kidding."
'Rin, wait a moment.' Archer suddenly spoke up as if he had discovered something.
Noticing Archer's serious tone, Rin asked, 'What's wrong? Did you sense an enemy nearby?'
'Look at that man's left wrist.'
Hearing this, Rin turned to look at Shinji, who was joking with Sakura. She saw a faint red mark peeking out from under his shirt sleeve. Rin's expression froze.
There's no mistaking it. That's a Command Spell!
It's proof of being chosen as a potential Master by the Holy Grail!
From the look of it, it had only recently appeared. Judging by Shinji's reaction, he hadn't noticed it yet.
A regular person being chosen as a potential Master by the Holy Grail?
This makes no sense!
'What should we do?' Archer asked.
Rin furrowed her brows, analyzing the situation. 'Ignoring it shouldn't be a problem. He's just a potential Master. As you can see, he's an ordinary person with no magic circuits. There's no way he can summon a Servant.
Besides, this person has always shunned the world of magi and their conflicts. That's why he decided to completely withdraw the Matou family from the world of magecraft after the old man died.
There's still one Master left, Saber's Master. The Holy Grail probably chose multiple candidates. Once Saber's Master summons their Servant, the Command Spell on his hand will disappear.'
'But...'
Archer started to speak but was cut off by Rin.
'I know, leaving it completely unchecked isn't good either. I'll give him a heads-up.'
Thus, using the excuse of "staying a little longer," Rin decided to remain.
Seeing Sakura's delighted expression, Rin silently apologized for the lie.
"What? You're not leaving now?" Shinji asked with a strange look as Rin sat back down on the sofa. "Are you not satisfied with lunch and planning to stay for dinner too?"
"Sakura, the tea has cooled down. Could you make a fresh pot?" Rin smiled sweetly, like a model student.
"Hey, you're really making yourself at home."
"Sure, Sister. I'll make some more."
While Sakura was out making tea, Rin's expression changed.
"Shinji, look at your left wrist."
Hearing the serious tone in Rin's voice, Shinji frowned in annoyance, flipping his wrist. Before he could complain, he saw the faint red mark and froze.
After staring at it for a long time, Shinji looked up at Rin, his face darkened and his eye twitching.
"So... this is..."
"Exactly what you think it is," Rin confirmed.
In an instant, Shinji's face fell, and he seemed to question his existence.
When Sakura returned with the tea, she saw Shinji holding his head, looking near collapse, and Rin sitting cross-legged on the sofa.
"Brother?" Sakura called tentatively, then with concern. "What's wrong? You look terrible. Is your cold still not better?"
"N-no, Sakura." Shinji looked up, his face starting to crack. "I just realized I missed the latest issues of JUMP, MAGAZINE, and SUNDAY this week. I... I'm dying."
"Brother! Pull yourself together!" Sakura panicked.
"Please, Sakura, get me this week's manga magazines. It's my life's request."
"Leave it to me, Brother!"
With that, Shinji managed to get Sakura out of the house.
After Sakura left, Shinji finally broke down. "What the hell is this?! This is insane! The criteria for selecting Masters are this random?!"
"Calm down," Rin said, somewhat exasperated. "According to my father's notes, the Holy Grail randomly selects potential Masters. That's probably why you were chosen. But don't worry, there should be multiple candidates. Once the actual Master summons their Servant, your Command Spell will disappear. So, relax."