Clock Tower.
Returning once again to the office that had altered his fate, Kairi Sisigou couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia, mixed with annoyance. Still no snacks.
Lord El-Melloi II sat at his desk, fingers intertwined, steam rising from his freshly brewed cup of coffee. He cut straight to the point.
"Anything you'd like to say?"
"You got a new couch?" Kairi patted the sofa, settling in comfortably.
"I'm talking about your report," El-Melloi ignored Kairi's attempt at small talk, his tone flat. "You wrote that everything was caused by the Red Assassin's Master, Shirou Kotomine. Are you trying to excuse the Black faction?"
"My report's accurate." Kairi stretched out on the couch, far too relaxed for a meeting of this nature. "But there are some unanswered questions—like where the Grail ended up, or who really won."
El-Melloi took a sip of his coffee, his sharp gaze never leaving Kairi. "You've certainly got an eye for detail. Unfortunately, the rest of it sounds like you're avoiding something."
Kairi grinned lazily. "I just wrote down what I knew. If you're not happy, you can ask the other Masters."
"No need," El-Melloi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Compared to their reports of, 'Had tea, Grail War ended,' yours is actually useful. Sometimes I wonder why we hire these so-called elites."
Trust wasn't something you expected in a Grail War—everyone knew that. But for the Masters to casually drink tea offered by the Assassin's Master? That was a bit too casual.
"See?" Kairi chuckled. "At least my report's better than nothing."
"Not when the Grail's involved." El-Melloi leaned back, crossing his arms. "That's a genuine Holy Grail. If someone made a world-altering wish…"
Kairi shrugged. "Not much we can do about that."
For a moment, El-Melloi was at a loss for words. He couldn't argue with that. If such a wish came true, they might not even realize it.
"How long is this pointless conversation gonna last?" A bored voice muttered from the corner. Cyd, leaning against the wall, yawned loudly.
"Uh, it should be over soon," came a soft reply from Gray, who fidgeted nervously, sensing the tension in the air.
The sudden quiet in the room made Cyd and Gray's exchange stand out more than usual. El-Melloi frowned, setting down his coffee, while Gray pulled her hood tighter over her head.
"Speaking of which," El-Melloi's gaze shifted, scrutinizing Cyd. "I remember you leaving alone. Who's this?"
"Oh, him?" Kairi grinned again. "Just a friend. He's had a bit of trouble, and I heard you're the expert at solving that kind of thing. Thought I'd drop by and see if you'd be interested."
El-Melloi massaged the bridge of his nose, looking increasingly tired. "I wouldn't say I'm an expert. More like… I get dragged into problems. And besides, I don't even know what the situation is."
Kairi waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, you're the only one who can handle it!"
El-Melloi felt his stomach twist as Kairi gave him a grin that practically screamed, You've got no choice. He considered outright refusal for a moment but glanced at Cyd.
Then, El-Melloi's eyes narrowed. For the first time, Cyd lifted his head slightly, just enough for El-Melloi to catch a glimpse of his face. El-Melloi froze, his mind racing.
He knew that face. He'd seen it before. In a photo. Taken by Kairi himself.
Ruler—Cyd.
"I'll take the case." El-Melloi sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation. Cyd's presence changed everything. There was no escaping this now. Whatever connection this young man had to the Heroic Spirit, it dragged El-Melloi deeper into something he couldn't back out of.
"Master?" Gray tilted her head, clearly confused. El-Melloi had seemed on the verge of saying no, but something had made him change his mind.
"Great!" Kairi laughed, leaning back. "Looks like you've got yourself a new job."
"Wonderful." El-Melloi's colleague, Lord Belfeban, spread his hands. "Take it to your office then. I've got plenty to deal with on my end."
"Still handling the Yggdmillennia fallout?" El-Melloi raised an eyebrow.
"More or less." Belfeban shrugged. "They did declare rebellion, after all. With their failure in the Grail War, they're out of options. Surrender was their only move. But thanks to your report—and their reparations—the Clock Tower is willing to let things slide."
"What kind of reparations?" Kairi asked, skeptical. He doubted his report had made that much of a difference.
"Various relics… and a slab," Belfeban smirked.
"A slab?" Kairi perked up. He remembered that slab being worth a fortune.
"Yes, a stone tablet carved by the pure white hero himself. They planned to use it to summon him but ended up with his teacher instead. Its value surpasses any other relic we've got."
El-Melloi arched a brow. "And they just handed it over after confirming Cyd could still be summoned? Must've been a sign they're giving up."
Kairi threw a glance at Cyd, who remained silent.
Of course, they handed it over. Cyd was already back in this world. You couldn't summon a living person as a Heroic Spirit.
That tablet Belfeban treasured so much? Just an artifact now.
El-Melloi's eyes sharpened, catching Kairi's subtle glance at Cyd. He could piece things together—this youth standing beside Gray was inextricably linked to the legendary Ruler. The Clock Tower had no idea.
"Interesting," El-Melloi muttered, eyes narrowing.